By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers’ season came to an end with a 10-3 loss to Corpus Christi Ray in the area round, but they didn’t go down without a fight.
They trailed 10-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh, and a highlight reel catch by the Ray left fielder put Brownsville Veterans in a one-out hole early.
Then, senior third baseman Lorena Rodriguez stepped into the box. She blasted a 3-0 pitch deep to dead center for a home run in what would be the final at-bat of her career to spark a rally.
“I went up to bat, and we were in a pretty bad situation. In the batter’s box, I was already a little teary. Then I heard a parent say, ‘This might be your last at-bat. Make it count,’” Rodriguez said. “I was crying while I was batting, and she pitched me the first three balls and I was, like, ‘I don’t want to get walked.’ … Luckily it was right down the middle, and I thank God for that.”
In the end, the Lady Chargers were proud of what the young team accomplished in a difficult season.
“The result wasn’t what we wanted, but the future looks bright because they were able to come back from a tough first two innings and keep battling and keep fighting,” Lady Chargers coach Rayner Cardenas said.
Corpus Christi Ray jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first inning, then extended it to 7-0 after the second. Errors in the outfield helped the Lady Texans move runners around with ease, and they sprinkled four hits and a lot of good contact across the field.
“We have a lot of youth, and sometimes when you play in a big game the nerves come into play,” Cardenas said. “I was really, really pleased and impressed with the girls that they seemed to put it together after that second inning. When you’re down 7-0, it could’ve very easily gotten out of hand, and I think it speaks volumes for the mental part of the game that they’re getting better at.”
Sophomore pitcher Rebekah Izeta entered the circle in relief in the third and did well to slow Ray’s offense. She gave up three runs on seven hits and struck out three.
The Lady Chargers ended the scoreless drought in the fifth. Sophomore Nahomi Garcia sent a single to right, then sophomore Reggie Santivanez roped an RBI double to left.
After Rodriguez’s bomb in the seventh, Cristina Gonzalez — the only other senior on the squad — followed with a double to right. She came around to score on a single by sophomore Andrea Chapa, making it 10-3.
Brownsville Veterans had an emotional huddle after the game, reflecting on the growth of the individuals and a team that has 14 freshmen and sophomores on the roster.
“I’ve been playing with these girls since we were about 6 years old,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve been growing up since T-ball together. My dad was our coach, their dads were our coaches, and it’s beautiful that I got to play so many years with them. I feel like (the younger girls) kind of look up to me in a way since I’m going to go play college ball, so I always tried to guide them and motivate them. I’m so thankful that we got to finish on a good note.”
Cardenas said the expectations for the program were raised after this season, and they’re looking forward to seeing what experience will do for them next year.
“We knew if we could just cut the errors down, we always give ourselves an opportunity. The girls hit the ball extremely well and have all season long. We just ran out of outs,” Cardenas said. “The pitchers stopped throwing the ball and became pitchers. Hittingwise, the way they approach the plate improved. Those are things I saw happening, and we’ll continue to grow and they’ll continue to get better. The future is so bright for us.”