BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
GRULLA — Coming into the season, Grulla freshman ace Fidel Garcia already wanted to be leaned on in pressure situations.
“I felt pretty confident going out there,” Garcia said. “I have always wanted the ball in the big moments.”
On Friday, his vision came to fruition when he got the start against Progreso in a must-win game. Garcia was on fire, striking out 14 in a no-hitter as Grulla won 5-0 to cement the Gators’ place as the second seed in District 32-4A.
“It was a tough week, because there were so many different scenarios,” Grulla coach Joel Osuna said. “The kids stepped up and did what they had to do.”
Progreso still has a chance to qualify for the playoffs by virtue of Rio Hondo’s loss to Port Isabel, but the Red Ants are in a three-way tie with those two teams for the fourth playoff spot.
Garcia had his curveball going early, and his nasty fastball was the perfect complement. He perplexed batters with his control and velocity.
“He’s been playing this well all year,” Osuna said of Garcia. “He threw a no-hitter about two weeks ago. He’s doing a good job, and he is very confident up on the mound.”
“He’s a great kid,” junior shortstop Dillen Salinas said of Garcia. “He’s great at everything, and I can even admit that pitching-wise, he is better than me.”
The Gators got going in the bottom of the third, using three singles and a few fielders choices to plate four runs. That was enough for Garcia, who mowed through the last four innings, allowing just three base runners the rest of the way.
“The good thing is that our bats have been coming around through the late part of the year,” Osuna said. “All through the lineup, we have nine guys who can hit.”
The Gators added a run in the fifth, when freshman second baseman Honelio Leal reached on a leadoff single and came around to score on a single from sophomore JJ Garcia.
The Gators opponent in the bi-district round of the playoffs is still up in the air, as the 31-4A playoff race very much hangs in the balance entering the final games on Saturday.
Kingsville King, Orange Grove and Ingleside are all possible opponents.
“Ingleside and Orange Grove are playing tonight,” Osuna said. “Then, whoever wins that will play King tomorrow for second place. So, we will go scout them tomorrow, and we will go from there.”
The Gators have been consistent all year, and the youth on the team has been a big reason why. Grulla started Friday’s game with three freshmen and three sophomores on the field. The younger players have stepped up in big moments and brought excitement to the season.
“They all played select ball, so they came in ready,” Osuna said. “Our second baseman (Leal), defensively, he’s a vacuum with that glove. Our third freshman is (Mason) Loreen, our right fielder today, who is also a pitcher, and he has done very well, as well.”
For team captain Salinas, Friday was just the beginning. The Gators have struggled with first-round matchups throughout Salinas’ career, but the Gators believe this is the year that trend comes to an end.
“We are really excited for the playoffs,” Salinas said. “Our goal is to make it to the second round, and then do what we can to make it to the third. We just really want to get past the first round, since that’s been the thing since I got here. I believe we have the team to do it this year.”