DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
ZAPATA — Edinburg High threw ace John Henry Gonzalez and won Game 1 of its Class 6A regional quarterfinal series against Laredo Alexander on Thursday. Alexander threw ace Sergio Macias in its Game 2 win Friday.
So Game 3 on Saturday came down to whoever had the most left in the tank. That was Alexander.
Edinburg High had the lead twice and threatened late, but Alexander pulled away with the 8-4 Game 3 win at Zapata High School to advance to the regional semifinals next week.
It was the second consecutive trip to the third round of the playoffs for the Bobcats, who finished 19-11-2.
“What can we say? It never ends the way we want it to end unless we get to the big tournament in June,” Bobcats coach Robert Valdez said. “We did the best we could. It’s a sad day to let this season come to a close, but by no means is it a letdown.”
With sturdy pitching from sophomores Marcelo Perez and Andres Santos and consistent hitting all throughout the lineup, Alexander — returning five starters from last year’s state semifinalist — took advantage of shaky outings from Bobcats starter Jaime Cansino and reliever Josh Aguirre.
The Bulldogs (24-8) compiled 12 hits and struck out just twice. Bobcats pitching did not record its first strikeout until No. 9 hitter Luis Lopez went down swinging with one out in the fourth inning.
Alexander’s top hitting duo, seniors Aldo Buendia and Sergio Macias, combined to go 4-for-7 with two RBIs, setting the table for the Bulldogs at the top of the lineup.
“We were on it,” Bulldogs coach Fernando Lemus said. “Today we just managed to put the ball in play. We were hitting line drives, we weren’t putting the ball in the air. Those are three excellent pitchers we saw this weekend, but today we were just on it.”
Edinburg High managed six hits and had its opportunities for more. The Bobcats loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning and only came away with a run via fielder’s choice. They also stranded two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning.
“We may have been tight under pressure at times,” said Gonzalez, who went 0-for-2 with two walks, including an intentional pass. “We have some guys in this lineup that aren’t as experienced as others, but we never stopped fighting. This team just kept pushing through and pushing through, from day one. I’m proud of this team.”
Edinburg High was in the playoffs for the eighth straight season. The Bobcats graduate 13 seniors who helped establish a winning tradition for Valdez. Among those departing are program leaders Gonzalez, Aguirre, Matthew Treviño and Daniel Solis.
“Our kids fought, and we’re not making any excuses,” Valdez said. “Alexander is a good ballclub. They executed and we didn’t. But I’m proud of our kids, of where we started and where we’ve gotten to.
“These outgoing seniors, they’ve laid the foundation for us.”