By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
LA VILLA — Port Isabel has faced Progreso three times as a District 32-4A opponent this baseball season and won each matchup.
Monday night’s 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Red Ants at La Villa was the triumph that mattered the most and felt the best as it got the Tarpons into the Class 4A state playoffs.
“It’s amazing (because) I didn’t want to end my baseball career tonight,” said Port Isabel’s Tyler Francis, who launched a sacrifice fly to right field that plated teammate Josiah Garza from third base with the winning run in a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the bottom of the seventh inning. “I wanted to keep going into the playoffs, especially because this is my senior year.
“I couldn’t have done this without my brothers (teammates) who always have my back,” added Francis, who went the distance on the mound for the pitching victory with 11 strikeouts while throwing a three-hitter. “No matter what we do, we’re always trying to hype each other up. We’re just trying to bring out the best in each other.”
Port Isabel, Progreso and Rio Hondo finished 32-4A action all tied for fourth place with 7-7 records, which prompted Monday night’s three-team, two-game “play-in” scenario at a neutral site.
In Monday’s opener, Progreso beat Rio Hondo 4-1 to advance to the second contest against Port Isabel. The Red Ants were looking fairly good against Port Isabel after leading 4-2 at the end of four innings and up 4-3 after six frames.
But the Tarpons wouldn’t be denied.
In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Garza blasted an RBI triple to deep center field to bring home the tying run, which had reached base on a walk, making it 4-4.
After two intentional walks by Progreso to load the bases, Garza came home from third with the winning run thanks to Francis’ sacrifice fly to right field, setting off a victory celebration by the Port Isabel players, coaches and fans.
The Tarpons now go against District 31-4A champion Robstown in bi-district later this week.
“It’s been like that (with us facing adversity) all year,” Port Isabel coach Robert Holland said. “We were two games down in the standings (just) last week and we put it (together) point blank to get it done (and battle to make the playoffs). These guys stepped up.
“I don’t know if you could say we had Progreso’s number, but we’ll take it,” Holland added. “It always feels good (to qualify for the playoffs). People doubted us, but our guys didn’t. It was a rough year, believe me (but our guys came through).
“I always have this saying, and the players know it. It’s not how you start (the season), but how you finish. And now we’ve finished (district and the regular season by reaching the postseason).”
Progreso went ahead 1-0 in the top of the second on an RBI sacrifice play by Adrian Cavazos before the Tarpons went up 2-1 in the bottom of the second. An RBI triple by Hugo Gonzalez to deep center field tied the score 1-1. And then moments later, Gonzalez came home on a wild pitch to put the Tarpons ahead by a run.
A run-scoring sacrifice fly to right field by Progreso’s Julian Alvarez in the top of the third brought the Red Ants into a tie at 2-2.
A two-run single to left field by Cavazos in the top of the fourth put the Red Ants ahead 4-2.
The Tarpons pulled within one run, 4-3, in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to left field by Garza.
That set the stage for the Tarpons’ come-from-behind rally in the bottom of the seventh that won the game and sent Port Isabel to the playoffs.
Garza, Francis, Jeremy Martinez and Jose Martinez each collected a pair of hits for the Tarpons. Garza led his team with a pair of RBIs.