By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN–The Harlingen High Cardinals scored at least one run during each of the first five innings en route to a 9-7 District 32-6A victory on their home diamond against the Los Fresnos Falcons on Thursday night.
The Cardinals improved to 2-0 in district action, while the Falcons slipped to 0-3.
Harlingen High led 3-0 after one inning and 4-0 after two. The Falcons put together a five-run outburst during the top of the third to lead 5-4 before the Cardinals rallied to go ahead again, 6-5, by the end of three frames.
The Cardinals added two runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth to make it 9-5. The Falcons pushed across two runs in the top of the sixth to pull within 9-7 of the lead, but could come no closer.
The first 32-6A win for the Cardinals was a 15-0 triumph over Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday. The Falcons were coming off district losses against Harlingen South (2-1) and Brownsville Rivera (5-0).
A couple passed balls and a fielding error by the Falcons allowed Harlingen High to score its first three runs in the bottom of the first. The Cardinals’ Abel Flores came home from third base on a squeeze play in the bottom of the second to make it 4-0.
Los Fresnos came alive to go ahead 5-4 in the top of the third thanks to one hit, three walks and an error by the Cardinals.
Highlighting the third kooinning for the Falcons was Victor Loa as he hit a two-run triple to right field to cut the lead to 4-2.
Later in the inning, another run came home on a passed ball to make it 4-3 and a sacrifice fly to center field by Alex Salas tied it 4-4. Los Fresnos’ fifth run came to the plate on a throwing error to first.
The Cardinals wasted little time in taking the lead again. In the bottom of the third, an RBI single to right field by Ashton Adams evened things at 5-5. Adams soon came home on a passed ball to put his team ahead for good, 6-5.
A throwing error by the Falcons saw a pair of Harlingen High runs come home during the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-5. It became 9-5 on a bases-loaded walk to Abraham Ibarra during the bottom of the fifth.
Los Fresnos tried to come back in the top of the sixth as Loa hit another triple to right field that eventually helped two runs make it to the plate for a 9-7 score that wound up as the final.
Loa batted 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
The Cardinals turned a double play in the top of the seventh to help their cause and relief pitcher Jacob Marroquin struck out the final batter to end the game after three-plus hours.
Harlingen High next plays at Harlingen South on Tuesday. Los Fresnos next plays host to Hanna the same night.