PHARR — Only Corpus Christi Flour Bluff has beaten Sharyland Pioneer this season.
The Diamondbacks (17-1-1, 7-0) continued to cruise in District 31-5A with a 14-2 win over PSJA Southwest on Wednesday at Southwest High School in Pharr.
Sharyland Pioneer has only had one head coach in the program’s history. Orlando Garcia is in his ninth year in charge of the Diamondbacks. Garcia said it is the best start to the season in those nine years.
“I tell the girls, no matter who we play, top of the district or bottom of the district, we want to come out with the same intensity and be able to hit any type of pitcher,” Garcia said. “The girls did that today. The first group got in there and did what they had to do.”
The Diamondbacks took care of business Wednesday against one of the bottom teams in the district. PSJA North is the only team in the district so far that has not been beaten by more than 10 runs against Sharyland Pioneer, losing 11-7.
Sharyland Pioneer still has to play Edinburg Vela and Sharyland High in the first round before running it back in the second round of 10-team District 31-5A. The Diamondbacks have won the past two district championships. A third straight is in the cards, as well as a deep run in the playoffs.
“We want to exceed what we have done in the past,” Garcia said. “Hopefully the tournaments we have played prepared us for that. The way the girls have been playing, hopefully we can do that and make a good. In the interim, we have one game at a time in district.”
It was a dominant performance Wednesday that ended in five innings. The Diamondbacks only needed three of them, going up 13-0 after their team’s third at bat. Javelinas picked up a couple of runs in the fourth courtesy of Briana Snell and Faith Salinas.
Winning pitcher Reaghan Staehely hit a two-run home run in the third. Fellow seniors Alondra Rodriguez and Karisa Lopez both drove in two runs during the eight-run third inning.
“We are on fire,” Staehely said. “We are doing great. We really jelled during our tournament season. We all know our strengths, and we all use them to the best of our ability.”
The Javelinas had a great second inning defensively. Two terrific catches deep in the outfield helped them escape the second without surrendering a run, but they did not capitalize during the bottom half of the inning.
Every Javelinas batter grounded out to Staehely in the second. The senior pitcher did not give up a hit in two innings in the circle. A strikeout and two routine defensive plays helped the Diamondbacks quickly end the bottom the first.
Sharyland Pioneer scored five runs in the first. The Diamondbacks took advantage of the Javelinas not covering third on pitches missed by the catcher to move runners into scoring position. Rodriguez started the game by driving a shot off the wall, but could have added more in her second at-bat in the inning. Rodriguez hit a soft line drive into a double play.
Rodriguez, a catcher, and Staehely praised the defensive effort by the team this season.
“We are just coming together,” Rodriguez said. “Our defense has been together since our freshman year. We have a really strong defense. We all rely on each other and have trust.”
The Diamondbacks face Edinburg Vela at 11 a.m. Friday at Sharyland Pioneer. PSJA Southwest returns to action against PSJA Memorial at 11 a.m. Friday at PSJA Memorial.