FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer
SAN BENITO — The Lady Greyhounds might have started the scoring, but it was the PSJA Memorial Lady Wolverines who finished it.
After losing Game 1 of the their best-of-three Class 6A bi-district series on Thursday 11-2, the Lady Wolverines came into Friday night’s contest with a chip on their shoulder and then turned it into a 8-6 victory over the Lady Greyhounds.
Game 3 will be played at PSJA Memorial at 2 p.m. today.
“We had a lot of confidence coming in,” said head coach Gilberto Rodriguez. “I told my team that if we eliminate yesterday’s mistakes then we can win this game and we can be successful. In the bus I told the girls that it’s one pitch at a time and one hit at a time and we can make it happen.
“These girls believed in themselves and I’m proud of these girls. They made it happen.”
Despite the loss, San Benito got on the board first.
After starting pitcher Sarah Garcia retired the side in the top of the first, leadoff hitter Garcia put the Lady ’Hounds on the board after a RBI single from freshman Erika Cortez.
However, the evening went from good to bad in one inning for Garcia. The freshman gave up five runs in the top of the second, forcing San Benito head coach Kristy Leal to make the switch for a more experience Diandra Padilla, who came in and closed the inning.
After a passed ball evened up the score at 1-1 in the top of the second, PSJA Memorial’s Elyssa Elizondo and Emily Garcia each had two RBI hits, stretching the lead to 5-1 and silencing the San Benito crowd.
However, the Lady ’Hounds respond with three runs of their own.
Angela Nunez scored on a balk, while April Garcia and Audrey Huerta each scored runs to cut the lead to 5-4. San Benito’s Deztiny Hernandez would even the game up at 5-5 in bottom of the third.
“When the score was tied, I told them not to give up because they’re an elite team and they come to battle, and you need to come to battle and show them who you are,” Rodriguez said.
And fight back they did. PSJA Memorial would score three runs and retake the lead at 8-5, before San Benito’s Hernandez would score the Lady Greyhounds’ final run in the seventh inning.
In the circle, for the Lady Wolverines, Ashley Castillo went the distance, allowing just one run the final four innings of play.
“Ashley stayed focus and pitched her game,” said Rodriguez. “I told her you pitch your game and whatever we can you come at them with confidence and that’s all you need.
“This is the postseason everybody is 0-0 and whoever wants to play next week is going to go for it.”