BY KEVIN NARRO | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
McALLEN — McAllen Memorial’s hitters needed a few innings to find to their groove. But when it clicked, it clicked. A seven-run fifth inning was more than enough run support for junior pitcher Daisy Gonzalez, who stymied McAllen High with a shutout performance. McAllen Memorial improved to 3-0 in District 30-6A with a 12-0 win in six innings against McAllen High on Monday night.
With Monday’s game being made up from this past Friday due to weather, McAllen Memorial’s offense stalled until a big inning shifted the momentum in its favor.
Clinging to a one-run lead in the fifth, McAllen Memorial’s rally began on back-to-back RBI singles from Jalene Rodriguez and Janira Ibarra. The monster inning was later capped by a two-run double from Sasha Uribe, thus putting the game out of reach at 8-0. The Lady Mustangs sent 12 batters to the plate while racking up six hits and seven runs in the frame.
Leadoff hitter Kayla Dow finished 3 for 4 at the plate with a run and an RBI, while Rodriguez went 2 for 2 with an RBI and two runs. The Lady Mustangs pounded away for 12 runs on 16 hits.
“Anytime we face McAllen High, it’s always going to be a pitcher’s duel,” Memorial coach Audra Benavidez said. “These girls have played each other for the last three years, so we knew what to expect. That fifth inning was a game changer for us, We needed to be more patient at the plate, and drive the ball the other way, and I thought we were able to do that.”
While the offense provided a late-inning spark, Gonzalez dominated the circle for the Lady Mustangs.
Gonzalez twirled a complete game gem, tossing a six-inning shutout. Gonzalez yielded just three hits, walked one and struck out seven. At one point, Gonzalez retired 12 batters in a row between the second and sixth inning. The second hit of the night came on a one-out single from Kayla Davis in the sixth inning.
“I had my fastball working tonight, and I would throw in my changeup here and there to keep them guessing,” Gonzalez said. “It’s always big when we play McAllen High. That helped me get ready for tonight. The weather hasn’t been helping much either, but everyone has adjusted and showed up on time.”
McAllen Memorial will now shift its focus to La Joya High on Tuesday night, while McAllen High will square off against McAllen Rowe.