MARK MOLINA | STAFF WRITER
Since middle school Lopez’s Alex and Lexi Castro have always played on the same softball team and donned the same softball uniform.
That will once again be the case when the duo takes the field for the East squad in Saturday’s Rio Grande Valley Coaches Association East-West All-Star softball game.
The only difference is this time, it could be the last time they’ll share the field as their future plans remain undecided.
“Now that I think about it, if it is our last game together, it’s going to be very special,” Lexi said. “(Alex) and I have been a duo since middle school and even earlier than that. If Saturday is our last game, then I’ll take it and we’ll see what happens.”
Now graduated seniors, the twin duo can’t recall many games in which they didn’t share the field with one another.
For Lexi, playing alongside a sister has become synonymous with the game itself.
That hasn’t completely been the case for Alex, who was the lone Castro on the field for much of the 2018 season while Lexi nursed a torn ACL.
To say Alex noticed the difference is an understatement, despite Lexi always around in a walking boot
“Our junior year, (Lexi) tore her ACL and it was pretty hard for me,” Alex said. “I didn’t have her there as my rock. She’s always been there for me, so when she tore her ACL, that just rocked my confidence in what I did for the team.”
Lopez still managed to make the postseason that year for the second straight season.
Still, the presence of the Castro twins has meant so much more for the Lopez softball program, as they have been the cornerstones of the program’s only two postseason berths in history.
The twin duo appreciates the distinction more because they were able to carry the program together.
“It was special,” Lexi said. “(Alex) and I have gone through everything together since we were small, including all our games from little league to now. It’s special to have that really strong bond with her.”
Alex believes that without Lexi and that bond, the Lopez program isn’t quite the same.
“It was an interesting run,” Alex said. “If (Lexi) and I would not have been there helping out Lopez, it would have been a different story. But we went there, we tried our best. We did everything we could to take the team to a whole other level. Lexi and I were really proud of ourselves to help that program get recognized.”
The Castro sisters will add a couple of powerful bats to the East lineup.
Lexi posted a .542 batting average, while Alex followed by hitting .519. The pair combined for 80 hits, 59 RBIs and 57 runs scored.
With solid numbers, the Castro twins are looking to make their final high school game a memorable one.
Both Lexi and Alex hold out hope that Saturday will not be their final game together.
But if that is indeed the case, they know they will go their own separate ways with each other’s support.
“WeIl, I hope it’s not our last game together,” Lexi said. “We plan to go to college together. If we go to separate colleges, I’ll be really upset, but at the same time, I’ll be glad because we’ll each get to meet new people. (Alex) has been there with me through everything. I love her so much and she’s the greatest ballplayer and whoever takes her in college is very lucky to have her.”
“Me and (Lexi) have been together for a long time,” Alex added. “I am proud of her. It’s going to be emotional if this is our last game playing together. I’m hoping we go to the same college, but we might go our different ways. If we end up going to different colleges, it’s going to be a whole other story and different for both of us.”