DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Just as the ball bounced Roma’s way in Game 1 on Thursday, it hopped Mission Veterans Memorial’s way in Game 2 on Friday.
The Patriots used a 10-run, six-hit fifth inning to tear apart a pitcher’s duel and earn a 14-3 rout to even the best-of-three Class 5A regional quarterfinal series at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
Game 3 is 2 p.m. today at the same site.
“We just found the right spots today,” Mission Vets coach Casey Smith said. “We hit the ball (Thursday) too, but we just happened to hit it right at them and they made the plays. It’s baseball.
“One day they fall and the next day they don’t.”
The Patriots (25-8) got 12 hits against three Gladiator (13-14) pitchers. Five were for extra bases. They also walked seven times after walking just once in Game 1.
“Today was about getting people on and getting people in,” said Patriots infielder Edward Peña, who went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. “I was just going up there looking for a pitch I could drive so we could get some runs. I felt we could hit their pitching.
“If our approach was good, we would be alright.”
The Patriots were more than alright in the fifth. They sent 15 hitters to the plate and manufactured runs off singles, doubles, passed balls and walks.
“We were jumping on them early,” said Patriots outfielder Ruben Cavazos, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. “We didn’t let the pitcher get ahead of the count, which we didn’t do in Game 1. We attacked, and any fastball in the zone, we were ready to hit.”
But a weird play went Mission Vets’ way early in the frame.
With the Patriots ahead 2-1 to start the fifth, Cavazos followed an Eddie Galvan double with an RBI single. Matthew De La Garza then hit a ground ball to Roma third baseman Juan Salinas, who snared it, ready to initiate a double play.
But Salinas’ throw to second base hit the back of an umpire. Instead of a possible two outs for Roma, Cavazos was safe at second and De La Garza was safe at first.
The Patriots scored nine runs after the play, which clearly had a negative effect on the Gladiators.
“We were still in that ballgame, and that’s a routine double-play ball,” Roma coach Roque Cortinas said. “Unfortunately, (the umpire) said that’s where he belongs. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do in a situation like that.
“We can’t throw over him, so I guess next time we’ll throw through him.”
Smith admitted the play was a big one for both teams.
“We got a break,” Smith said. “It helped out and it really was a momentum swing. Our kids fed off of that. They continued to hit the ball and we scored some more runs.”
Sophomore Noel Vela, the Patriots’ ace, kept Roma at bay the rest of the way. Vela threw six innings and allowed one earned run on three hits. He struck out 10 and walked five.
Sophomore Cristian Ramos (7-0, 0.95 ERA) is expected to pitch today for the Patriots. Cortinas said he has two or three guys he’s looking at to pitch, but it’s possible he could go back to ace Jon Michael Roberson, who pitched a complete game shutout in Game 1 and threw just 85 pitches in seven innings.
Roberson has been Roma’s main pitcher all season, which is why it wasn’t a surprise to see the Patriots thrive once Roma had to go to the back end of its rotation. But Mission Vets has confidence in Ramos and the fact that it came back from a 1-0 series deficit last weekend against Gregory-Portland to rally and win the area round playoffs.
“We know we can come back from any tough loss,” Cavazos said. “In Game 1, things just didn’t go our way. But from the last series, we learned if we trust our approach, the results will find itself.”