BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — Weslaco High coach Mario Rodriguez understands from personal experience that the backbone of a long and successful playoff run is a strong starting rotation.
Strong pitching is what Rodriguez had over the last two seasons, when his staff was led by left-hander Taylor Tafolla. Tafolla was a part of Panthers runs to the UIL Class 6A Final Four in 2016 and another Sweet 16 appearance last spring. After winning The Monitor’s 2017 All-Area Pitcher of the Year, she graduated from Weslaco, leaving a gap in the Panthers rotation.
As sophomore Ashley Sada was elevated to No. 1 starter, Rodriguez searched and found stability in sure-handed senior shortstop Alyssa Escamilla.
“It’s more for us to have multiple pitchers,” Rodriguez said. “You never know what’s going to happen in a game. We’re able to go one, two and maybe even three pitchers deep if you include one of our outfielders.”
Escamilla has had the opportunity to pitch for her travel team, RGV Heat, but those chances are few and far between. The Heat boasts a group of starters that includes Brownsville Veterans junior Mia Anzaldua, who won The Brownsville Herald’s 2017 All-Metro Pitcher of the Year, and Edinburg High senior Amber Reyes, who was The Monitor’s 2017 All-Area Player of the Year.
“It hasn’t been that crazy of a transition,” Escamilla said. “I just had to step up in a bigger way and take pitching a lot more seriously than I have before.”
Escamilla has provided the stability her coach was looking for. She has made three starts and seven appearances overall since March 7. During that span, Escamilla is 2-1 with a 2.39 earned run average, allowing 12 hits, one walk and striking out 10 in 14 2/3 innings.
“She’s done a great job for us,” Rodriguez said. “She’s pitched here and there for us in the past, but now we can really count on her.”
The senior knows her way around a diamond, having played every position except first base at Weslaco High. Escamilla’s mind must be in a different space whenever she gets the ball.
“Every pitch matters in the circle,” Escamilla said. “You can’t take a pitch off, because that could be the one that gets hit over the fence.”
Escamilla knows her arsenal needs fine-tuning, so she sees an independent pitching instructor.
“I drive all the way to Brownsville,” Escamilla said. “We go over what was working, what wasn’t working, and we work on what does for about an hour. My screwball has always been there for me, but I’m getting more confident in my riseball. I’ve been using my riseball and change-up a lot more this season.”
Escamilla is still primarily a shortstop, but when she’s in the circle, she has a familiar face guiding her behind the plate.
“I’ve been catching Alyssa since we were on a team when we were younger,” Weslaco High catcher and Alyssa’s sister, Audrey, said. “She wasn’t as experienced with pitching as she was before, but the pitching coach she’s with now has given her a lot of confidence. She’s already made a ton of improvement with her pitching performance as a whole from last year to this year.”
“There’s an advantage we have when Alyssa’s in the circle and Audrey’s behind the plate,” Rodriguez said. “They obviously know each other well, and they both have high softball IQs.”
Audrey has picked up some things watching and catching her sister through the years.
“She’s great at keeping her composure when things go bad,” Audrey said. “There have been times where errors are happening around her, but she can still stay calm and tell her teammates, ‘It’s OK. I’m not mad. Let’s get the next one.’ That is one of her best qualities.”
Weslaco High (24-4-1, 8-2) is third in District 32-6A behind undefeated Harlingen South (22-5, 10-0) and San Benito (19-7, 9-1). After the Panthers meet last-place Brownsville Rivera on Tuesday, they will host Harlingen South on Friday and San Benito on Apr. 17. The Hawks and Greyhounds are responsible for both Panthers losses in district play.
“We’re in third, and that may be not where we want to be at the end of the year, but we’re in a good spot now,” Alyssa said. “We’re getting some momentum going, and it’s better to have it now going into the postseason than in the preseason.”
Weslaco’s 2016 run to the Final Four came after a third-place district finish.
“None of us are discouraged, because we know anything can happen,” Audrey said. “We’re trying to move up in the standings, but if it doesn’t happen, it won’t discourage us at all.”