By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
BROWNSVILLE — The Brownsville Rivera Raiders just couldn’t get anything going Thursday on their home diamond in Game 1 of a Class 6A best-of-three bi-district series against Edinburg North.
As a result, the Cougars scored two runs in the top of the first inning and never trailed en route to a 5-1 victory over the Raiders.
Edinburg North, the No. 4 playoff seed from District 31-6A, improved to 11-15, while Rivera, the District 32-6A champion, slipped to 22-9.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 7 p.m. today at Edinburg North. If the game needs to be moved because of wet weather, it will take place at Edcouch-Elsa’s artificial turf field tonight.
“That’s a good (Rivera) ballclub over there,” Edinburg North coach Richard Valdez said. “We’re competing and we played great game tonight, but tomorrow might be a different story. That’s what we’re telling our guys, which is just to focus and see what we can do Friday night.
“It’s a best-of-three series for a reason, so let’s see what we can do in Game 2,” Valdez added. “In this Game (1), it was really our timely hits and making the routine plays (that meant the difference). The team making the routine plays is going to be the team to win.
“We set the tone early (by scoring those two runs), and in the playoffs, one or two runs may be all you need (to get the win). We talked to the guys about coming out strong. Scoring those two runs in the first inning turned out to be pretty important for us.”
One of the standouts Thursday for the Cougars was senior right-hander Kenneth Jobe, who went the distance for the mound victory. He threw 82 pitches while striking out three and walking two. He allowed only two hits.
“At first, I was a little nervous, but as we got into the game and the innings went by, I became more comfortable,” Jobe said. “I knew my team was behind me and everything. I (ended up) just having a comfortable game out there.
“It means a lot coming over here and winning Game 1,” Jobe added. “We knew it would be a tough game tonight, but we came out here and took care of business. We got some hits and I did my job on the mound. Now we just have to take care of Game 2 and that will be it (for the series).”
After leading 2-0 early, the Cougars gave up a run to Rivera in the bottom of the second to make it 2-1.
Edinburg North increased its lead to 4-1 in the top of the third before adding a solo tally in the top of the fourth to account for the final score of 5-1.
The Cougars’ first two runs in the top of the first came on a two-RBI single to right-center field by Carlos Acosta. A run-scoring triple to center field by Aurelio Guajardo and an RBI single to center field by Acosta in the third made it 4-1.
Jobe had an infield hit to bring in the Cougars’ fifth run in the fourth.
Acosta and Guajardo each batted 3-for-4 for the Cougars. Guajardo had a single, a double and a triple and finished with one RBI for the Cougars. Acosta had three singles and three RBIs.
The hits for Rivera were an RBI double in the bottom of the second by Raul Rosales and a single in the fourth by Raul Gonzalez.
Rivera’s Jesus Ibarra went the distance in taking the loss. He gave up nine hits while striking out seven batters and walking one as he threw 101 pitches.