KEVIN LU | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
EDINBURG — Edinburg High’s baseball team clinched the outright District 31-6A championship Friday with a demonstrative 10-0 win at home over PSJA North at Edinburg High.
The Bobcats (18-2-1, 11-1 31-6A) needed six innings to run-rule the Raiders (8-14, 6-6). The district title was the first for Edinburg High since 2008. Both teams are headed to the playoffs.
“It’s just a culmination of events. They’ve showed their resiliency all year long,” Edinburg High coach Robert Valdez said. “And we’re fortunate enough to be in this situation.”
The Bobcats took a 6-0 lead into the sixth inning. It was an 8-0 lead when senior Luis Ortega hit a run-scoring, seeing-eye single for a 9-0 lead.
Ortega advanced to third base and came home on Mike Trevino’s sacrifice fly to end the game.
Ortega had a pair of hits and scored both times on base. He also drove in three runs. Trevino had a hit and drove in three runs with a run scored.
Bobcats starting pitcher John Gonzalez walked the bases loaded in the first inning but escaped and settled down afterward. He went three more innings allowing only a hit.
He and reliever Jaime Alvarado combined for 10 strikeouts and allowed the one hit in the six innings. It was the Bobcats’ seventh shutout in district play.
Edinburg took control of the game in the third inning. The first six batters reached base as the Bobcats batted around. With the bases loaded, Ortega sent a single up the middle through a drawn-in infield to score two runs for a 3-0 lead.
Trevino plated another pair with a single to right field before Gonzalez helped his own cause by pulling a double to the left centerfield wall. It scored another run as Edinburg assumed a 6-0 lead.
“We’re just jubilated for the kids,” Valdez said. “They’ve sacrificed a lot, they’ve put a lot of time and effort into this, and I couldn’t be happier for them.”
The Bobcats play San Benito in the bi-district round of the playoffs next week.