RGVSPORTS.COM
Edinburg Vela is one of two Rio Grande Valley programs to punch its ticket to the regional quarterfinal of the baseball playoffs, and the only Class 5A program to do so.
Trailing Victoria East 1-0 in their best-of-3 area series heading into Saturday, Vela took Game 2, 10-0, and then won Game 3, 5-2, behind R.J. Ochoa’s two-run bomb in the sixth inning that helped close matters in Corpus Christi.
Sophomore Aaron Galvan improved to 6-4 and earned his third career postseason closeout game by winning Game 3. Senior Johnny Davila improved to 6-1 in taking the dominant Game 2 win with a three-hit shutout. He also went 3-for-4 at the plate to aid his cause.
The SaberCats advance to play No. 1-state ranked Calallen in the next round.
“It was a little bit of everything for us,” Vela coach Jaime Perez said. “We threw a lot of strikes. We got ahead in counts. We gave ourselves a chance. That was the difference. We made the routine plays and we made the extra plays. That defined it for us.”
Freshman Nico Rodriguez threw the 17-2 Game 2 defeat for Vela, which surrendered 14 walks to Victoria East. But the SaberCats rebounded as Perez went to his stalwarts on the mound Saturday to make it to the regional quarterfinal round for the first time in playoff history.
Sophomores Matthew De La Cruz and Jesse Garcia played significant roles offensively, getting multiple hits in each of the wins, in helping Vela get there.
“These kids are resilient when it comes to adversity, and it really showed,” Perez said. “Because of the tough district we’re in (31-5A), which I believe to be the best in the Valley, we were prepared for the pitching we saw.”
The SaberCats had 14 hits in Game 2. In Game 3, they fell behind early before rallying back to tie it in the fourth inning. Ochoa’s shot, his second of the season, was all the separation they needed.
CLASS 5A
FLOUR BLUFF 5, MISSION VETERANS MEMORIAL 1: The Patriots were swept by Flour Bluff as ace Noel Vela took the loss in Kingsville.
Mission Vets finishes its season with a 24-9 overall record.