BY NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER
CORPUS CHRISTI — For 3 1/2 innings, the Edinburg Vela SaberCats and Austin High Maroons were locked in a well-pitched, tight regional semifinal softball game Thursday at Cabaniss Field.
Both starters — Vela’s Brianna Salinas and Austin senior Danielle Serna — were rolling. During the fourth and fifth innings, however, the Maroons showed their ability to strike quick and that made all the difference in Game 1 of the best-of-three series.
Austin won 10-0 in six innings, and Vela will be tasked with winning back-to-back games tonight to keep its season alive.
“It was one of those things where the first four innings we had opportunities, we had runners on every inning,” Vela coach Jon Maples said. “We had opportunities to crack the board and get the first run and see what would’ve happened.”
The SaberCats had a chance to grab the lead during the third inning when senior Julia Cordon smashed a pitch off of Serna and over the head of the left fielder. She stood up with a leadoff double and stole third with smart baserunning.
That’s when Serna found another level of play in the circle. She struck on the side to retire the threat and the Maroons never looked back.
Serna, a Colorado State commit, struck out 13 in the win.
“They’re a top team. They have a dominant pitcher,” Maples said. “It only takes a run or two, that’s it. She got in a rhythm, there’s a reason she’s going to Colorado State and that’s why they’re in the NCAA tournament with a really good pitcher coming their way.”
The District 26-5A champs finally got to Salinas and the SaberCats’ defense in the fourth inning. They entered the inning with only one hit but batted around and scored six runs.
Alyssa Ibarra started Austin’s fourth with a single, which was followed up with a double before Angel Ojeda and Karina Serna recorded RBIs. Serna and Lexie Aleman walked and eventually scored. The back-breaking hit was a two-out double by Natalie Guerrero that scored three runs.
Austin coach Kristen Lozano said her team went through a bit of a feeling-out process before getting into an offensive zone to match its pitcher.
“Just like any first-time game, when you’re playing anybody, you’re just a little quiet, a little nervous,” Lozano said. “The nerves got a little bit of a hold on them but we just had to go back to being us.”
During the sixth inning, the Maroons loaded the bases again and used a second two-out hit to score, this time to end the game. Jayda Lafluer’s grand slam was enough to force the 10-run rule.
Serna will likely be in the circle again and the SaberCats will need to muster more than just one hit to get the offense going.
“When you have Daniella Serna on the mound, she can be 3-0 in the count with balls and she knows she’s going to come back,” Lozano said. “She just has to hunker down and make sure that mentally we’re starting off stronger.”
For Maples and the SaberCats, they have options and a decision. Salinas started the game and fellow sophomore Guzman pitched in relief.
“We’re probably going to pitch both of them again,” Maples said. “That’s the good thing, neither one of them is tired. Bri threw a lot of pitches, but she’ll be ready to go tomorrow. We’ll talk about it tonight and figure out our game plan for tomorrow. We’ll be ready for two games tomorrow.”
Game 2 is scheduled for 6 tonight, with Game 3 to be played 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2, if necessary.