By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

If fans, players and coaches from around the Rio Grande Valley were not yet aware of Cassie Valdez, they have been put on notice.

The freshman pitcher from Brownsville Veterans Memorial led her team in ERA (2.3), strikeouts (109) and innings pitched (106 1/3) and was a member of the only Metro-area team to advance to the area round of the playoffs.

She’s also a force at the plate, compiling team highs in RBIs (20), doubles (14), triples (three), home runs (one) and OPS (1.028). She also was second on the team behind fellow pitcher Sarah Sandoval in batting average, hitting .364.

For putting together such a dominant season during her first year at the varsity level, Valdez has been awarded the RGVSports.com 2015 All-Valley Softball Newcomer of the Year award.

“I feel honored and happy to receive this award,” Valdez said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, my parents and their support, and my catcher, of course, and my pitching coach, without a doubt.”

Though she’s excited to be recognized for her stellar inaugural season, Valdez is focusing on enhancing her skills during the offseason. In addition to participating in tournaments held in Oklahoma and Colorado, she’s practicing pitching twice per week, throwing for hours to improve her endurance.

Valdez split time with Sandoval throughout the season but began to shoulder a larger workload as the season progressed. She’ll likely be the full-time starter next year, and her summer workouts are intended to help with that transition.

“I know she wants to increase her speed, and I know she will,” Brownsville Veterans coach Ray Cardenas said. “I know she wants to be a complete pitcher with changeups and curve balls. Every pitch you can think of, she’s working extremely hard to perfect them. She drives herself to be (an NCAA) Division I pitcher, and I think very shortly she will be getting some looks from some scouts.

“As far as team goals, she’s one of the leaders. Her play inspires her teammates to perform better. What I think she’s going to get from the summer is more confidence, and she’s not lacking for any right now.”

Valdez has pulled inspiration from All-Valley MVP Crystal Castillo, the ace of the San Benito Lady Greyhounds’ team that advanced to the state semifinals.

“She, since her freshman year, worked hard and had a goal her senior year to go to the final four, and she wanted to end her senior year on a high note and she did.

“She plays smart, and that’s what every pitcher needs to do.”

By receiving the All-Valley newcomer award, it marks the third such award Valdez has won. The honor accompanies her being recognized as the District 32-6A freshman of the year as well as the All-Metro newcomer of the year.

“I don’t think she’s going to have an issue dealing with all the accolades that she’s gotten so far,” Cardenas said. “I think this drives her to perform and to play harder than she would have without these accolades. So I think this is going to inspire her to perform at an even higher level and push herself even harder.

“I’m just excited to see what’s going to happen to her over the next three years, because she’s the type of person, mentally, who is not going to be satisfied with everything she’s been able to get to. I know she wants more.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

It helps when a first-year coach has a talented freshman waiting for him upon his arrival.

That was the setup for the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers. They brought aboard former Los Fresnos coach Ray Cardenas, who took over for a struggling Lady Chargers team that fell short of the postseason last year. His change in style and pace shifted the attitude of the team.

The way the Lady Chargers excelled down the stretch to lock into a three-way tie for the No. 4 seed in District 32-6A, win a tiebreaker and defeat the No. 1 seeded Weslaco High Lady Panthers in the bi-district round earned him The Brownsville Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Softball Coach of the Year award.

But the change in culture was just one element that helped him succeed. The other: freshman pitcher Cassie Valdez.

“Great players get respected really quickly in this game, and (Valdez ) is a great player,” Cardenas said. “She has a lot of energy in practice, and the girls feed off of that. She’s exactly what you hope for when you get a player. She does everything in practice, and she performs even better in the games. The girls see that and they want to emulate that.”

During her first year playing for Brownsville Veterans, she was effective on both sides of the ball. As a pitcher, Valdez boasted a 2.3 ERA and registered 109 strikeouts in 106 1/3 innings. Offensively, she compiled a 1.028 OPS and led the team in doubles (14), hits (36) and runs (28).

Her effort during her inaugural season has earned her The Herald’s All-Metro Newcomer of the Year award.

“I feel honored and blessed, and I feel thankful that my parents support me and they’re always there for me,” Valdez said. “I’m thankful that my coach is there to show me the mechanics of the game and that my team has my back all the time.”

The freshman started the biggest game of the year for the Lady Chargers on May 8. She got the call to take on Laredo LBJ in the area round.

“At first I was a little nervous, but then you just get used to it and you don’t think about the fans or the girls cheering, you just focus on what you need to do and play your game,” said Valdez of the area-round start.

Valdez pitched well and Brownsville Veterans fell just short of advancing to a regional quarterfinal, but in the eyes of Cardenas that doesn’t diminish what his team accomplished during his first year at the helm.

“I was very fortunate that (Brownsville Veterans principal Maria Solis) and (athletic coordinator David Cantu) gave me the opportunity to come here and get things going like I did at Los Fresnos ,” Cardenas said. “I’m extremely grateful that they gave me the opportunity to prove myself, and that it wasn’t a fluke (at Los Fresnos ) and that it was a lot of hard work. And I’m grateful for the girls here that they were able to make the season memorable for all of us.”

The coach enjoys reflecting back on his team’s success but realizes there’s work to be done.

“It was a great season, making a lot of history and a lot of milestones here at this campus: first time in the playoffs, first time winning a bi-district championship, one hit away from an area championship,” he said. “But we came in fourth place in our district. We need to make sure that we’re competing for those district championships. That’s the goal we’re setting for next year.”

Aside from talented players, the Lady Chargers have used a hard-work approach to become a successful program, an attitude of which Cardenas is proud. So much so that it has him looking ahead to next season, as he realizes his team has the makeup to be highly competitive.

“It’s become more serious at practices and at the games, nobody’s really messing around,” Valdez said. “Everyone is doing the best that they can because this year we had a goal, and that was to go to playoffs. And once you reach that goal, we were like, ‘OK, let’s take it further.’”

Added Cardenas, “How hard they’re willing to work gets me excited for next year, because I know they’re not content. They’re not happy with what happened. They tasted it for the first time, and they just want to get after it and come back and do even bigger things next year.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

A softball game becomes a lot easier to manage with a lockdown pitcher.

That’s exactly how Port Isabel coach Jesus Garza felt each time senior starter Victoria Cantu took the ball.

Cantu was dominant this season as the Lady Tarpons’ ace. In 76 innings pitched, she allowed four earned runs, giving her an ERA of 0.37. She also compiled 11 wins and a 4.85 strikeout-walk ratio.

“Having a pitcher like (Cantu), I just know she’s going to get the job done,” Garza said. “It’s relaxing. It’s not as stressful. Just knowing that I have somebody out there that’s going to do her job and do it well is relaxing and reassuring.”

For her accomplishments, Cantu has been named The Brownsville Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Softball Pitcher of the Year.

“It’s an honor and a blessing at the same time,” Cantu said. “It’s something I’ve worked hard for six years, and thanks to my family I was able to be blessed with everything that I have.

“I could have done better, but my defense is what helped me a lot. Without them, I would not have been able to keep that ERA.”

She attributes her ability to maintain a level of control on her pitches that has been years in the making. As a first-year starter, she finally got the chance to repeatedly show it off.

“Hitting my spots a lot.That’s what I’ve always worked on,” Cantu said. “Especially keeping (the ball) low and keeping (opposing batters) off balance a lot of the time.”

Though she was only the primary pitcher for one season, her coach recognizes the lasting impact she, along with All-Metro MVP Kelcie Swink, has had on the fabric of the Lady Tarpons’ team moving forward.

“They’ve worked so hard,” Garza said. “They’ve set examples for other players, and I’m hoping that whoever watched them practice and watched them play can come in and do what’s expected.

“It’ll be easy for me to say next year, ‘Why can’t you do this like Kelcie or work like Victoria?’ because they saw it. There was an example set for them. Filling their spots will be difficult, but I’m hoping that there are other girls out there that are going to work all summer and come in and put in extra work after practice and on the weekends.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

Kelcie Swink has played four sports during her time at Port Isabel, seems to excel on every field, court or diamond and has made plans to continue displaying her athleticism at the collegiate level.

She has been recognized for her success at every turn, but there’s something she hasn’t done: win an MVP award in softball.

That changes days before she graduates high school, as she’s been awarded The Brownsville Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Softball MVP award. The senior boasts a staggering 1.378 OPS to go with a .521 batting average. In 53 plate appearances, Swink struck out three times. She accounted for more than 20 percent of her team’s RBIs with 22, and she led the Lady Tarpons in hits (25) and doubles (6).

“It’s amazing,” said Swink, who was a member of the All-Metro first team and All-Valley second team in 2014. “I was hoping I would get something for All-Metro, but I wasn’t expecting this. I was really surprised, and I’m really grateful.”

Swink attributes her success this season to a different approach at the plate.

“This year, I’ve been a lot more calm in the box,” she said, “and I think that’s what may have pushed (my batting average) up.”

But as for her work ethic, that hasn’t changed.

“I don’t think I took it any differently than the other years,” she said. “I always wanted to do my best and give my team what they deserved, which is the best I had. I think that’s the way I always play.”

Her coach feels the same way, and pinpoints the effort and determination of his first baseman and All-Metro pitcher of the year Victoria Cantu as differentiating factors.

“When you ask about what makes them better, it’s their hard work,” Jesus Garza said. “What we do in practice, for them, is not enough. They go home, and they do extra. On the weekends, they’re doing extra. They play their summer leagues. There’s always more that they feel that they can bring to the team.

“With Kelcie doing the (RGV basketball showcase), we made time for her to get extra practice in before so that way she could make time for other things because she didn’t just excel in this one sport.”

Swink was the backbone of a Port Isabel offense that outscored its District 32-4A opponents 135-30 in 14 games. The squad also tied for the district championship and entered the playoffs as a No. 1 seed. Unfortunately for the Lady Tarpons, they drew a tough first opponent in Ingleside and lost their bi-district game 11-1.

That does not diminish the season Swink had, and having a stellar year like she did and maintaining a certain work ethic will help her in the future.

The senior is next moving on to York College in Nebraska, where she signed to play softball in April.

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

The Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Softball Team

Superlatives

Most Valuable Player

Kelcie Swink, Port Isabel

Pitcher of the Year

Victoria Cantu, Port Isabel

Newcomer of the Year

Cassie Valdez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Coach of the Year

Ray Cardenas, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

1st Team

Pitcher: JulietteGonzales, Hanna

Catcher: Cassandra Abrego, Hanna

First Base: Danielle Sanchez, Porter

Second Base: Brittany Rey , Hanna

Third Base: Sarah Sandoval, Brownsville Veterans

Shortstop: Maya Guevara, Los Fresnos

Left Field: Marina Wise-Herring, Port Isabel

Center Field: Karla Sosa, Porter

Right Field: Yisel Richeson, Brownsville Veterans

2nd Team

Pitcher: Sabrina Garcia, Porter

Catcher: Cecily Niles, Port Isabel

First Base: Stephanie Perez, Los Fresnos

Second Base: Karen Garcia, Porter

Third Base: Samantha Ibarra, Hanna

Shortstop: Alexandria Martinez, Port Isabel

Left Field: Krista Quiroz, Porter

Center Field: Victoria Rodriguez, Los Fresnos

Right Field: Britt Garza, Porter

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

RIO GRANDE CITY — It took five innings for Brownsville Veterans Memorial to gain the lead, but Tania Castro took it away with two outs in the top of the sixth.

The Laredo LBJ catcher hit an inside-the-park home run that scored two runs and gave the Lady Wolves a 6-5 advantage, and they held on to defeat the Lady Chargers in an area-round game Friday.

“We kept battling the whole game,” Laredo LBJ coach Francisco Quiroz said. “We came with a mission to win and go back to the third round, and now we have San Benito and they’re a great ballclub.

“We’re never out of any game, and we’re going to fight until the last out.”

The home run was the eventual game winner, but one inning after the Lady Chargers fell behind they nearly tied the game.

Lydia Fernandez reached on an infield single and Cassie Valdez hit a scorching line drive that was caught by pitcher Karina Moreno. The play happened so fast that Fernandez did not make it back to first base, and she was picked off for the second out of the inning.

“The ball was hit so hard, I didn’t even see it go from (Valdez’s) bat to (Moreno’s) glove,” Brownsville Veterans coach Ray Cardenas said. “It was instantaneous, and it was one of those reaction plays. But you’ve got to give that girl credit. She put out her glove, and if you make plays, you deserve to win.”

Despite the catch, the Lady Chargers proceeded to load the bases when Sarah Sandoval and Thalia Perez hit back-to-back singles, and Harley Morales was hit by a pitch.

Yisel Richeson stepped to the plate with the tying run on third but hit a floater to shortstop Mel Gamboa, who dove to record the final out.

When Brownsville Veterans initially took the lead during the fifth inning, it was Sandoval who delivered a bases-loaded hit that — coupled with an error by the Laredo LBJ left fielder — cleared the bases and tied the game.

Then, Perez hit a line drive to center field one batter later and scored Sandoval to give the Lady Chargers a 5-4 edge.

Brownsville Veterans surrendered the lead during the next inning and failed to put any additional runs on the board during the sixth and seventh frames.

Sandoval led the Lady Chargers with four hits, including three singles and one triple. She also scored a pair of runs and recorded three RBIs.

Perez also had multiple hits for Brownsville Veterans. She had two singles, was hit by a pitch and tallied an RBI.

Two players had two hits for the Lady Wolves. Castro collected a single and a home run to go with a pair of runs and two RBIs. Gamboa had two singles, one run and one stolen base.

The loss marks the end of the season for the Lady Chargers, who needed to win a play-in game to earn the No. 4 seed in District 32-6A. They advanced to the bi-district round, where they defeated the No. 1 seed from District 32-5A, Weslaco High, in a best-of-three series.

“The girls have grown up, they’re truly coaches’ players,” Cardenas said. “They listen, they want to learn, they believe in what we’re doing and they’re great athletes. They just needed to believe in themselves to get our program where we want it to be. All the credit goes to those girls. I’m looking forward to next year. I can’t wait, and the girls are excited also.

“Our girls are very smart, they’re very educated, so they understand and they can see the big picture. For being so young and inexperienced, they understand that there’s progress to be made.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

Christian Manchuca is paving the way for future cross country athletes from Rivera.

Following a successful season that featured numerous accolades, Manchuca has signed to run on the cross country team for Bethel University in McKenzie, Tenn. Bethel is a member of the Southern States Athletic Conference, which competes in the NAIA at the Division 1 level.

“It sounded good. They seemed like they were interested in me, so why not?” said Manchuca after his signing ceremony Friday morning at Rivera.

Manchuca certainly has made his mark as a member of the Raiders’ cross country team. Being the only senior on the squad, he set the standard for his teammates, and it showed given the unprecedented success of the team during his final year.

This season, Rivera boasted its first boys cross country team to win a district team title as well as its first boys cross country team to advance to state. The Raiders were District 32-6A champions and placed third at the Class 6A regional meet to earn their state berth.

While at state, the team didn’t finish as well as it had hoped, but Manchuca was the Raiders’ leading runner. He finished 33rd overall, running the 3.1-mile course in 16:30.39.

“He’s a very gutsy runner, he never gives up,” said Rivera coach Arturo Hurtado, who has been at the helm for 27 years. “He was the leader of the team the whole season in cross country, and at the end of the year he broke the school record in the 3,200.”

The record to which he refers to earned Manchuca a place in the record books as well as his name on the wall at Rivera. Manchuca set the 3,200 record at the regional meet with a time of 9:33.95, passing the previous mark of 9:42 set by Juan Garcia in 2010.

Aside from the records, Manchuca will never forget the impact the Rivera cross country program has had on him.

“I’m going to remember my coach and the team,” he said. “Coach helped me a lot and we had a lot of success and we made history.”

As for Hurtado, he’s hoping the success of his senior star serves as a benchmark for his young team.

“I hope he opens doors for more runners coming up,” the coach said. “All my team is underclassmen, he was the only senior on the team.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

The Sharyland Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks picked up an important road win against the Porter Cowgirls on Thursday.

Their 12-7 win in Game 1 gives them the edge in the best-of-three bi-district matchup.

The win can be credited to a dominating fourth inning in which Sharyland Pioneer sent 15 batters to the plate and added nine runs on seven hits, three walks and two errors. The scoring barrage gave the Lady Diamondbacks an 11-1 lead and effectively sealed the game.

“We came out with the game plan that we were going to play small ball, and the small ball worked for us,” Sharyland Pioneer coach Orlando Garcia said. “The girls executed very well and we think we’re very evenly matched with Porter, and we’re fortunate to get out of here with a win.”

The highlight of the inning was when the three players at the bottom of Sharyland Pioneer’s order — Ashley Briseno, Jayda Garcia and Fabiolaa Gonzalez — reached via singles before leadoff hitter Faye Ramos sent a 1-1 pitch over the left-center field wall for a grand slam.

“We were just waiting for some girls to get on base so we could start getting into our small-ball game,” Garcia said. “That was the plan from the very beginning, and once (Ramos hit a grand slam), that kind of opened up the floodgates for us.”

The following four batters reached base as well, and each scored runs before the first out of the inning was recorded.

Brooke Garza scored her second run of the inning with two outs, then, after the bases were again loaded, Emily Michki flew out to right field for the final out of the frame.

Though the inning was a rough one for pitcher Sabrina Garcia, Porter coach Ariel Arredondo stuck with her veteran.

“She’s my ace, she’s my senior,” she said. “If I’m going to win it, I’m going to win it on her back. If I’m going to lose it, I’m going to lose it on her.”

Porter battled back from an 11-1 deficit and scored runs during three of the next four innings. Danielle Sanchez and Krista Quiroz crossed home plate during the bottom of the fourth. The Cowgirls were retired in order in the fifth, but Sanchez and Quiroz added another pair of runs during the sixth.

“That’s the fight that they have, that’s the fighting team that we are,” Arredondo said. “That’s the fighting team that they should have been from the first inning. Those are the girls that I have,those are the girls that Porter has. It doesn’t matter what the score is, or regardless if it’s 0-0, every inning they’re going to come up and make things happen, but it just didn’t happen until the end.”

Brissa Rivera and Karla Sosa led off the seventh with singles and eventually rounded the bases, but with Sabrina Garcia stranded on third, three Porter batters were retired in order and the comeback attempt fell short.

“I was very proud of them and the fight that they put up at the end,” Arredondo said. “We went down swinging at the end, and for that, I was proud. We had some shining moments, we strung up some hits, it’s just with errors and thoughtless thinking, youcan’t win.”

The series shifts to Sharyland Pioneer, where the teams will face off at 7 tonight in Game 2.

“We get it at home now,” Garcia said. “I told the girls this is a great opportunity to play in front of the home crowd and finish off the series. It’s a two-out-of-three series, so no matter what, the worst-case scenario is that we’ve got two games, but hopefully we can finish it up (today).”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

Four Metro-area teams embark on their journey through the playoffs beginning tonight.

Following a series of games that were played to determine seeding and opponents, the matchups have been set.

In District 32-6A, the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons wrapped up their position in the postseason some time ago. With unblemished San Benito leading the pack, the Lady Falcons at 11-3 are comfortably situated as the No. 2 seed in the district.

Los Fresnos will open its bi-district round against Edinburg North at 7 tonight. The Lady Cougars, who finished in third place in District 31-6A, will battle Los Fresnos in a three-game series to determine which team advances to the area round.

Game 2 will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at Edinburg North. If necessary, Game 3 will be held Saturday at a time and place that has yet to be determined.

The Lady Falcons are coming off a loss to Hanna in the final district game of the season. Los Fresnos coach Traci Blackman hopes the loss will act as a refresher and motivator for her team moving forward.

“I think we’ve been solid defensively for a while now, and I don’t think this (loss to Hanna) changes anything,” she said. “I think we wake up (Saturday) and go back to being the team that we were. We’ve just got to stay on top of it and make sure it’s not habit-forming.”

Elsewhere in 32-6A, the No. 4 seed was recently decided after an extra set of games following a three-way tie at the conclusion of the district season. Hanna defeated Harlingen High 11-3 on Monday and advanced to face Brownsville Veterans Memorial on Tuesday.

The Lady Chargers triumphed and secured the final playoff spot with an 8-2 win. Brownsville Veterans Memorial will take on the Weslaco High Lady Panthers of 31-6A starting at 7 tonight at Brownsville Veterans.

The best-of-three series will conclude Saturday at Weslaco with Game 2 starting at 5:30 p.m. and Game 3, if necessary, starting shortly after the conclusion of the early contest.

Brownsville Veterans coach Ray Cardenas likes what he’s seen out of his team of late and its ability to overcome seemingly difficult situations during games.

“I like the fact that they’re resilient,” he said. “The score on the board doesn’t dictate their behavior in the dugout or their demeanor in the field. The belief is always there. As coaches, that’s what you want, you want your girls fighting all the way to that seventh regardless of what the scoreboard says. “

The Porter Cowgirls are the Metro-area’s only representative from District 32-5A. They finished the season with a 10-4 district record and won a coin flip that granted them the No. 2 seed.

They will play a three-game series during the bi-district round against Sharyland Pioneer of 31-5A. The Lady Diamondbacks lost a seeding match Monday against Mission Veterans Memorial and will open their series at 7 tonight at Porter.

Game 2 will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at Sharyland Pioneer, and, if necessary, Game 3 will be 5 p.m. Saturday at Porter.

“I’m very confident, especially with the way the girls have been working hard at doing the little things,” Porter coach Arial Arreganda said.

“I think we’ll have to jump on (Sharyland Pioneer) early as far as their pitcher,” she added. “After playing them and watching them, as long as we jump on their pitcher early and stay disciplined at the plate, we should have a good chance (today).”

The Cowgirls faced Sharyland Pioneer on March 3 during the non-district season. Porter won 12-2.

In 32-4A, the Port Isabel Lady Tarpons are the district’s No. 1 seed. They finished with a district record of 12-2 and will play a one-game playoff against the Ingleside Lady Mustangs of District 31-4A at 7 p.m. Friday at Alice.

“We’ve been working on making less errors on defense and, offensively, putting the ball in play and attacking the bases,” Port Isabel coach Jesus Garza said. “We want the other team thinking about us on the bases.

“I’m not too sure what to expect (against Ingleside), but I’ve heard they’re in a really good district and they have a good pitcher. It’s hard to say they are a pushover team.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

The District 32-6A playoff seeding is finally set.

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers wrapped up the play-in process with an 8-2 victory over the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles on Tuesday night at Hanna.

The win secures the Lady Chargers a spot in the playoffs. As the No. 4 seed in District 32-6A, Brownsville Veterans will face Weslaco High in the bi-district round in a best-of-three series starting 7 p.m. Thursday at Brownsville Veterans.

On Tuesday, the Lady Chargers trailed 2-1 until the fifth inning, when they scored five runs to help extend their season.

“Our group of girls arevery resilient now,” Brownsville Veterans coach Ray Cardenas said. “They believe in what they’ve been taught and to execute.

“Just like what happened in the last game against (Hanna). It took us a while to get our timing,(Hanna pitcher Juliette Gonzales) is a very good pitcher. She has a lot of velocity. But they were patient and strung some hits together and as that goes, the belief increases and the momentum increases, and it was like a ball rolling downhill that was hard to stop.”

Prior to the fifth inning, Gonzales had held the Lady Chargers to just two hits. However, the first five Brownsville Veterans batters of the frame reached base and scored.

Kiwi Silva led off the inning. She made it to first after she was hit by a pitch, and after Gigi Richeson advanced her to second with a single, Darlena Galvan hit a double down the left-field line to score Silva and Richeson for the tying and winning runs, respectively.

Sam Olivares entered as a pinch runner for Galvan and scored when Lydia Fernandez hit aninfield single. Rheanna Gomez, who drew a walk prior to Fernandez’s RBI, scored on a wild pitch. And Fernandez, who had made it to third on the same wild pitch, was brought home by a sacrifice fly from Sarah Sandoval.

The bottom of the Brownsville Veterans order accounted for a significant amount of the production during the game. The trio of Silva, Richeson and Galvan reached base the first six times they stepped to the plate and scored three runs, not including the run scored by Olivares.

“The bottom of our lineup has been very consistent in producing,” Cardenassaid. “They get on base, and they’re driving, and it’s been like that the second half of the season. We’re very fortunate that these girls are working hard. They believe in what they’re doing, and they’re executing at just the right time.

“One through nine, when we’re all clicking we’re very tough, and as long as they keep on doing that we’ll have a chance this weekend against Weslaco.”

The Lady Chargers added two more runs during the seventh, when Gomez and Fernandez each scored their second run of the game. Gomez hit a leadoff double, Fernandez followed with a single and they were each driven in by Cassie Valdez’s double.

“I’m a little disappointed,” Hanna coach Rey Lerma said. “We didn’t play anywhere close to our potential. We started hitting the ball early and we had our opportunities, but you’ve got to cash in. If you don’t cash in on your opportunities, it’s just not going to happen. In the end, I think emotionally it drained us.

“The funny part is,a lot of people didn’t give us a chance of being where we were tonight. They had written us off way before we played Los Frensos, and we got on a streak where we beat Los Fresnos, we beat Harlingen(High). We came in here and we had the lead here, we were in a position that people didn’t think we were going to be in.”

Hanna’s two runs came early in the contest, during the second inning. Briana Ramirez singled and made it home following a fielding error on a ball hit by the next batter, Salome McManus. McManus reached second base on the error and was driven in by a single from Sabrina Fernandez.

For Hanna, this game marks the conclusion of its season, but Lerma is excited about both what he saw this year and what’s in store for next season.

“I’m very happy the way we played (this season),” Lerma said. “You see the potential there. There’s a lot of good talent here. And this is probably a learning experience. We lose two seniors, and everybody else comes back. Next year I think we’ve got three or four juniors. So the freshmen and sophomores that are there,are going to be moving up.

“All of the things that hurt us in tonight’s game are things that can be corrected. And those are the things we’re going to work on in the fall to get ready for next spring.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

The left side of the infield is relied upon to make a great number of the defensive plays throughout a game. With the majority of batters being right handed, ground balls are typically pulled to the shortstop and third baseman.

Fortunately for the Lady Falcons, they have the tandem of senior third baseman Karina Gonzalez and junior shortstop Maya Guevara to anchor the infield. The duo excels at what Los Fresnos coach Traci Blackman preaches: defense.

“I think defensively, we have a very strong team,” Blackman said. “But the left side gets a lot of balls hit to them, and they work very well together. They do a great job.

“We do have other players on our team that stand out, but coming off some of the games we just came off of, that side was really (peppered), and they did a great job of getting the outs we needed.”

Gonzalez recently signed to play softball at Graceland University in Iowa . She was recruited in part for the tenacity she shows while manning the hot corner.

“My defense has really been on, I know my team has my back and I can always count on them,” said Gonzalez, who relishes the uncertainty that comes with playing the position. “ There’s some pretty hard shots at third, it’s just all about not being afraid. You never know if the batter’s going to bunt or if it’s going to get hit hard, so you have to be ready for anything.”

Her coach noted her toughness as well.

“Defensively, (Gonzalez) is quick, and she’s got a great arm,” Blackman said. “She’s not afraid, and she plays every game the best she can.”

Her counterpart, Guevara, possesses many of the same qualities.

“You have to cover a lot of ground and you have to cover a lot of bases, too,” Guevara said. “Especially on the bunt when you have to go to third.”

Her coach believes her shortstop ranks among the best in the area, and she’s been pleased with what she’s demonstrated on both sides of the ball.

“Maya has great range and a great arm,” Blackman said. “She makes plays that I don’t think other players in our district can make. And offensively she also stands out, she has a great bat.”

Guevara, who is the Lady Falcons’ leadoff batter, and Gonzalez, who bats third, have undoubtedly used their offensive ability to aid Los Fresnos this year. But it is their defense that will likely be most heavily leaned upon during the playoffs, which are fast approaching.

“I think defensively, we’re going to have to stay strong in order to win games,” Blackman said. “Our pitchers do a great job keeping batters off balance, but at the same time, we don’t have an overpowering pitcher, so we rely on our defense. When our pitchers hit their spots, batters put the ball where we need it to be.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.