BY BRYAN RAMOS | STAFF WRITER
RIO GRANDE CITY — The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks found themselves trailing during Game 2 against Rio Grande City with their backs against the wall on the Rattlers’ home-field. Having lost Game 1 4-3 in nine innings on Thursday, it was either respond or go home.
The Diamondbacks chose to respond.
After trailing 2-0 in the top of the fifth, Pioneer erupted to score 10-straight runs over the final three innings on their way to a 10-5 win in Game 2 to force a decisive Game 3.
“We’re just a resilient bunch,” Sharyland Pioneer coach Casey Smith said. “It was a tough one last night. You lose 4-3 at home in nine innings, it’s really easy to have a hangover, but we just didn’t expect that. We knew these guys were going to bounce back and play hard and they did a real good job of that.”
Pioneer senior Jacob Rosales gave the Diamondbacks the life they desperately needed during the top of the fifth as his triple to right field allowed Darik Briseño to score, trimming the lead to 2-1.
But the Diamondbacks weren’t close to done.
They went on to load the bases during the top of the sixth where seven more Pioneer runs crossed the plate, highlighted by two RBIs from Juan Rivera and one each from Rosales, Pedro Tovias, Johnny Lugo and Evan Maldonado.
Rosales has seen the high’s and low’s of the Pioneer baseball program, from winning just one district game a couple seasons ago to this year’s 32-win season, a school record. He said the Diamondbacks aren’t afraid to be in those tense situations, instead, they embrace them.
“Last week (against Corpus Christi Veterans) we were in the same situation and we came through in the late innings. It’s just something we’re used to. A lot of teams are scared of losing, we’re not, we’re not afraid to take risks. Losing a lot those first couple of years just kind of put us in a comfortable state where we can relax in these big situations,” Rosales said after his 3 for 3, two RBI and two walk day at the plate.
Rivera, who has been batting leadoff for the Diamondbacks for about the past month, said that spark gave the team confidence and energy, something Pioneer hopes they can carry over to Game 3.
“We had the confidence and energy in us after that spark, so we just kept it going and hopefully we can keep it going tomorrow,” Rivera said.
The Rattlers attempted to rally back in the seventh with a three-run home run by Emmanuel Garza, but it wasn’t enough. A two-run double by Noe Aguirre gave RGC a lead in the top of the second, only to see it fade away thanks to the Diamondbacks’ bats.
Maldonado (7-0) got the start for the Diamondbacks as the University of Houston commit pitched a complete game for the win and allowed six hits and three earned runs while striking out six. Rio’s Mike Ramos lasted 5 2/3 innings before reaching his pitch-limit of 110, finishing his outing with seven hits, five strikeouts and one earned run.
The Diamondbacks and Rattlers will go to battle today for the fifth time this season with a berth to the 5A regional semifinals on the line.
“This is what you play for. You’ve got to be a competitor and you’ve got to enjoy these situations and I think these guys do,” Smith said.
Game 3 is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Mission High School.