By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Porter gave itself a better start against Donna North than it had in its two previous district games, but the result was the same, a win.
The Cowboys took an early lead and never let up in a 12-2 victory over the Chiefs in a District 32-5A game Friday at Porter.
“I think it’s about attitude,” Porter coach Oscar Cortez said. “The kids came out flat (during the last game), but (Thursday) they were ready to go.”
With a 6-2 lead, Porter scored six more runs in the bottom of the fifth, including four with the bases loaded to seal a run-rule victory.
The early advantage really set the tone and Porter starting pitcher Lupe Soto did the rest, allowing two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out five to pick up the win and keep the Cowboys unbeaten (3-0) in District 32-5A. Donna North falls to 0-3 in district play.
“It pumped up me and my team a lot,” Soto said of the Cowboys’ quick start. “It gave us a positive attitude so I could throw strikes and help my team out.”
Porter put three runs across the plate in the first inning. Soto walked and scored a run when Cruz Reyna reached on an error. Aaron Gracia was hit by a pitch and a couple batters later, Cesar Lartigue drove in Reyna and Gracia with a two-run single to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead.
Porter added two more in the second inning, including an RBI-single by Gracia for a 5-0 edge. The Cowboys scored another run in the fourth inning on a heads up base running play by Marco Castro to push the advantage to 6-0.
Donna North got a couple runs back in the fifth inning on a wild pitch to score a run and an RBI-single by Sergio Canales to cut the deficit to 6-2.
But Porter got to Donna North starter Julian Alvarado in the sixth inning, scoring a pair of runs before he exited. The Chiefs’ Jesus Lucio came in for relief, but walked six and allowed four more runs that allowed Porter to seal the district game.
“(Julian) got a little tired at the end, the body language was showing he was running out of gas,” Donna North coach LeRoy Rodriguez said. “We left too many runners on base. Maybe a hit here and there, maybe a couple more runs come in, it might have been different.
“We didn’t get it done and they did.”
Alvarado took the loss after allowing eight runs on five hits, walked four and struck out one for Donna North.
It was a tough week for Donna North; it allowed double digit runs in consecutive games.
“We have to keep working hard,” Rodriguez said. “We’re not going to quit, we’re going to keep playing because you never know (what can happen). Our backs are against the wall, but we have to regroup and try and get back in the win column.”
Porter starts 3-0 in for the second consecutive District 32-5A season. But the Cowboys missed the playoffs last season after a letdown and don’t want that to happen again.
“We have to keep working hard,” Cortez said. “We have to keep the pedal down and keep fighting and not let up.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.