By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

AUSTIN — After a 4-0 loss to Pearland in the UIL state semifinals, Weslaco High pitcher Taylor Tafolla couldn’t help but look ahead to next year.

The Lady Panthers, after all, were the least experienced team in the tournament, never having advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs, while competing without any seniors on their roster Friday at McCombs Field.

“It’s more reassuring knowing that everyone is going to be ready next year,” Tafolla sad. “That we’re going to have that mindset that we’re going to be back here again.

“We don’t have to reassure people not to be nervous in games. We already have that feeling of going to state, and we’re going to look back on the little errors we made in the past games so we could get back and play in this game again.”

Weslaco (33-8) overcame a rash of injuries to capture the third seed in District 31-6A before sweeping three of five opponents en route to Austin.

It was the third time in four years that the Valley was represented at state, after San Benito made it in 2013 and 2015.

“It just means that we’re working in the right direction,” Weslaco coach Mario Rodriguez said. “The things we’re doing are paying of for us. The girls now have a year under their belt, and it’ll probably jumpstart us for next year.”

The Lady Panthers yielded three runs in the seventh inning Friday as Pearland pulled away. The Lady Oilers were armed with 14 college commits and the winningest coach in state history (Laneigh Clark, 617 victories).

Pearland is playing in the state tournament for the fifth time in program history. It has won two state titles, with the possibility of a third today.

“I thought it was a great experience being here in the first place,” sophomore Alyssa Escamilla said. “We just know what we’re capable of now, and we’ll be back next year.”

ONE AND DONE

Weslaco swept three opponents to reach the UIL state tournament. Twice, however, it rallied after a Game 1 loss to win the series.

That margin for error, Rodriguez said, was missed Friday.

“The difficult part is that you only get one chance. You don’t get a series (at the state tournament),” Rodriguez said. “We hadn’t seen much of each other, so you have to make adjustments on the fly. And in the end, I think we were just one run away from keeping us in it.”

BATTLING

Despite a bruised bone on her forearm, Tafolla pitched her 14th game of the postseason.

The junior pitcher returned from turf toe during the second half of district to help Weslaco clinch a playoff berth and rip off an 11-2 run heading into Friday’s game.

Against Pearland, Tafolla (27-6) threw 112 pitches, 75 for strikes. She surrendered nine runs on four hits, recording zero strikeouts and two walks.

FINAL COLLISION

Pearland (32-6-1) will take on Keller (31-7) in the Class 6A championship at 4 p.m. today at McCombs Field in Austin.

Prior to the last Texas Girls Coaches Association Softball Poll, Pearland was the No. 2 team in state. Keller was No. 1.

Pearland beat 2015 state champion Katy in the regional finals.

[email protected]

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

AUSTIN — For as pleased as Weslaco High appeared with its defense through six innings Friday, the thought of missing opportunities at the plate ate at some of its players following Friday’s UIL state semifinal at McCombs Field.

With Alyssa Denham, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette commit, in the circle, the Lady Panthers mustered only four hits and it cost them in a 4-0 loss to Pearland to close out the best season in program history.

“The challenge was waking up the bats,” pitcher Taylor Tafolla said. “Defensively, we were trying our best to keep the hits to a minimum. But we were coming up shorts on the bats, and that was pretty much what caused our downfall.”

Weslaco (33-8) ended the year matching the longest playoff run in Valley softball history. After beating New Braunfels Canyon in the regional finals, the Lady Panthers became only the second Valley program to reach the UIL state tournament.

San Benito made it in 2013 and 2015. All three times the Valley teams were out in the semifinals.

Through six innings, Weslaco trailed 1-0 before Pearland came through with three hits, including back-to-back doubles, to score three more runs in the seventh inning.

“She was hitting the corners well,” Tafolla said. “She went outside on the lefties, inside on the righties. And she had a rise ball after the first strike.

“She’s a great pitcher. I give all props to her. She has a great defense and a great team behind her. Honestly, it was the bats. We were warming up and everything seemed fine, but for some reason we couldn’t get a good bat on the ball.”

Despite loading the bases with two outs — by far its best scoring opportunity of the night — Weslaco’s Charlene De Anda grounded out to close out the bottom of the fifth inning.
“That pitcher, we just couldn’t touch her, unfortunately,” De Anda said. “She wasn’t fast, but she had good momentum and we just didn’t catch up.

“It was too late by the time we got the hang of it.”

In the top of the sixth, however, Weslaco did its part to keep runners from moving into scoring position, twice allowing fielder’s choices in favor of tagging a runner out at second.

Having never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs and finishing third in district, Weslaco was widely considered underdogs to advance this far in the postseason.

Between the combined eight teams in Class 6A and 5A competing in the state tournament, Weslaco was the only one not to have won district. And among state-qualifying teams, in any classification, Weslaco was just one of two to advance this far after finishing third in district.

The Lady Panthers were also the only team at state not to have any seniors, going up against 14 Pearland seniors, all them college commits.

“I think Weslaco did a great job,” said Pearland’s Laneigh Clark, the winningest coach in state history. “They had a great scouting report on us. I think they played hard. They had a real scrappy team, and I thought we hit the ball hard early.

“I think getting more at-bats helped us.”

Pearland, in fact, had 31 at-bats, six more than Weslaco. Denham also struck out seven batters, while Tafolla recorded none in yielding nine hits. As a team, Weslaco committed two errors.

The experience — Pearland was playing in the state tournament for a fifth time, in search of its third state title — ultimately helped sway the game, Weslaco coach Mario Rodriguez said.

“Every time we put pressure on them, they were able to handle us,” Rodriguez said. “It could be a lot of things, really, but I’m proud of my girls and everything they did.

“I just told them, give yourself a chance. We were both playing for one run, and we were right there. It could’ve gone either way.”

[email protected]

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Weslaco High softball coach Mario Rodriguez wasn’t surprised with what he discovered earlier this week in doing research on Pearland, the team it will be facing today in the UIL state semifinals.

Pearland is a softball powerhouse, making its fifth trip to the state tournament and in search of its third state championship. All 14 of its seniors have already committed to play softball at the collegiate level.

A roster of that depth, at this stage in the playoffs, is of little shock to anyone who follows high school athletics. What Rodriguez was taken aback by, however, is how his program has yet to generate interest from college recruiters, despite being one of four teams in the state to still be competing in the playoffs.

“Valley softball has increased by leaps and bounds the last 10 years — making the state tournament three out of the last four years — and we still don’t get the recognition,” Rodriguez said.

Weslaco has faced long odds in reaching the state semifinals. Prior to San Benito in 2013 and 2015, no other Valley team had ever reached the state tournament in two-plus decades since the sport has been sanctioned by the UIL.

None of the teams in this year’s state tournament, in any classification, have gotten to this stage without multiple seniors on their roster. Weslaco has none. And while seven state-qualifying teams between Class 5A and 6A won their respective districts, Weslaco is the only one not have hoisted a trophy, instead finishing in third place.

That Weslaco has yet to field calls from college scouts — much less receive offers — despite overcoming a litany of challenges, speaks to the concerns of those who follow and support Valley athletics.

“When you achieve that success, you should be getting recognition,” former Weslaco assistant and current San Benito head coach Kristy Leal said. “San Benito is a great example of that, and now Weslaco is becoming that. And I’m sure next year, they’ll be under the bright lights again.

“But when you attain that goal and you’re going so far in the playoffs, you deserve that attention. In the Valley, it’s tough because we don’t have the universities or college coaches that make the trip down here. So we have to make the effort to get our players showcased in tournaments in Dallas or Houston or Austin.”

The criticism from colleges against the Valley, as documented in a seven-part series by The Monitor last August, are plentiful: Teams historically have not performed well in the postseason. With limiting recruiting budgets, scouts are incentivized to travel to showcases and tournaments in major cities. Athletes who do leave the region often return home. And the financial and academic requirements of attending a major institution often are too lofty.

Each year, in most team sports, the Valley encounters these issues, especially in the latter rounds of the postseason.

“I don’t think it’s any secret that in any sport, including football, that when teams north of us play us in the playoffs, they call us ‘Valley weak,’” Weslaco assistant Craig Johnson said. “At least for softball, I think that’s definitely changed. If anyone looks at the game, they’ll see the Valley has turned it around.”

Former San Benito coach Elias Martinez saw that trend beginning to shift a couple years ago, when his team shattered a list of Valley barriers — becoming the first softball team team to beat a San Antonio-area school, the first to go to the Elite 8 and the first to advance to state.

“We took a lot of pride in opening those doors,” said Martinez, now the head coach at Harlingen South. “It showed that we could play ball in South Texas, too. Now that Weslaco is in it, it’s a tribute to the whole Valley raising its level of play.”

After reaching the state tournament, Martinez said he began hearing from college scouts more frequently. But it was still an uphill battle, he said, in trying to get players recruited to some of the top universities.

Amber Jasso and Dorothy Millan both went on to sign with Laredo Community College. And teammate Crystal Castillo, the All-Valley Player of the Year in 2015, signed with Huston-Tillotson, an NAIA school.

“I think there’s still a mindset over there that we can’t play very well,” Martinez said, “but all of that is changing now. When we were there at state, it was like, ‘San Benito who? Rio Grande where?’ And that’s starting to change.

“We’ve always been successful, but we hadn’t reached the state tournament. No one had. Now that you’re at state, this is the type of momentum you want.”

For the past few weeks, the Valley has seen plenty of parity in the postseason. PSJA Memorial, which barely qualified for its first-ever playoff berth, upset state- and nationally-ranked San Benito in the opening round. Memorial went to advance two more rounds.

And for the first time in recent memory, four Valley softball teams from the same district qualified for the regional quarterfinals (third round).

With a victory today at McCombs Field in Austin, Weslaco can prolong its record-setting run by becoming the first Valley program ever to reach the UIL state final in softball. Prior to this year, Weslaco had never gotten out of the second round. Now it is getting ready for the sixth.

“If this doesn’t put us on the map, I don’t know what else will,” Martinez said. “Three out of the four years, the Valley’s at state. If they don’t put us on the map, something’s wrong. We’re definitely making some noise. We’re definitely playing well. I think it’s the start of something great.

“We started it, and Weslaco is picking up with it and running. This is a great time for softball here.”

[email protected]

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Since qualifying for the UIL state semifinals, Weslaco High coach Mario Rodriguez has fielded phone calls from city and school officials to rival coaches and former players.

Among those staying in contact with Rodriguez is Elias Martinez, the former San Benito coach who led his team to the state tournament in 2013 and 2015.

Like San Benito, Weslaco has overcome long odds to reach the state final four. Prior to San Benito, no other Valley team had reached regional championship, much less the state tournament. And now, for the third time in four years, the Valley will be represented in Austin.

“He and I have been talking a lot,” Martinez said, “and I just tell him not to fear anybody. That they deserve to be there. It just comes down to execution and being able to handle the pressure.

“The girls here in the Valley, they don’t take a backseat to anybody. We can play against anybody, and we’ve shown that the last four years.”

Today’s game pits Weslaco (33-7) and Pearland (31-6-1), a five-time visitor to the state tournament and a two-time state champion. Before this week’s Texas Girls Coaches Association Softball Poll, Pearland was listed as the No. 2 team in state. Weslaco came in at No. 7.

The Lady Panthers only recently joined the list. Amid a bevy of injuries and ailment, they finished third in district and surpassed all expectations by getting out of the second round of the playoffs for the first time in its history.

Now in the sixth round, Weslaco will take on Pearland, a senior-laden club with 14 college commits, at 6 p.m. at McCombs Field on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.

Since the second half of district, the Lady Panthers have rode the hot hand of pitcher Taylor Tafolla, a junior, who has battled turf toe, a bruised hip and an injured forearm. Despite the setbacks, she’s pitched in every playoff game as the team has ripped off an 11-2 record.

With a fraction of the players having played travel ball, Rodriguez insists the stage isn’t too big for Weslaco, which beat Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Eagle Pass, Edinburg High, Corpus Christi Carroll and New Braunfels Canyon to reach today’s game.

“We’re just as good as those teams (at the state tournament),” Rodriguez said. “The talent here is just as good, and we’re proof of that because we’re here.”

Many of his players have played on the same travel ball teams since they were 8 years. Catcher Alyssa Escamilla and shortstop Audrey Escamilla are sisters, and they’re cousins with Tafolla, the pitcher. Their rapport this year, Rodriguez said, is what has helped ignite the Lady Panthers’ defense.

In the last four games, Weslaco has beaten its opponents by a combined 25-10, stomping Canyon 7-1 in the series-clinching win last week.

“I told Coach Rodriguez, enjoy the moment,” Martinez, now the Harlingen South coach, said. “Tell the girls to relax and have fun and enjoy their time there. Because all those nerves, all those feelings, that’s going to happen. That’s going to last until after the game. That’s the beauty of it.

“They have everyone coming back next year, so they’ll be even better. It’s a good thing if you’re the coach, because you know what you have coming back and you have a chance to run it back.”

[email protected]

===============================

UIL CLASS 6A STATE SEMIFINAL

WESLACO HIGH VS. PEARLAND

WHEN: 6 p.m. today

WHERE: McCombs Field, Austin

RECORDS: Weslaco High (33-7); Pearland (31-6-1)

GAME NOTES: Weslaco High is making its first trip to the state tournament. Before this year, it had never advanced past the second round. … The Lady Panthers are the only Class 5A or 6A team at state not to have won a district title. They came in third behind Edinburg North and Edinburg High, respectively. … Despite injuries, Taylor Tafolla is expected to start today. The Weslaco ace has sparked an 11-2 playoff run. … Weslaco is only the second Valley program ever to reach the state semifinals. San Benito did it in 2013 and 2015. If Weslaco wins today, it will mark the first time a Valley softball team advances to the state final. … Pearland beat 2015 state champion Katy on Saturday to reach the state tournament for the fifth time in program history. … Pearland is in search of its third state title. … The Lady Oilers have 14 college commits. They’re led by Laneigh Clark, the winningest softball coach in state history (617).

PREDICTION: Pearland wins.

— Mario Aguirre

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Before he took over the Weslaco High softball team nearly a decade ago, Mario Rodriguez coached girls basketball.

As part of their usual practice routine, Rodriguez had players wear specialized goggles to force them to keep their heads up while dribbling. When he landed the Lady Panthers’ softball gig, Rodriguez brought some of those philosophies with him. Whether they were hitting the ball or fielding it, he had the players wear similar frames to force them to focus on the target.

“The number of different skills and drills that he brings is amazing,” assistant coach Craig Johnson said. “He does a lot of searching, a lot of researching on the internet, talking to people, and he finds the things that’ll make the girls better.

“I’ve been coaching for 25 years, and he puts me to shame with some of the skills and drills that he brings to practices.”

As a former high school basketball player and special teams coordinator with the football squad, Rodriguez has implemented a variety of tactics stemming from his diverse background. And the Lady Panthers have reaped the benefits, becoming only the second Valley program ever to qualify for the UIL state tournament.

“For me, coaching is coaching,” Rodriguez said. “It’s about getting the kids to understand the fundamentals of the game. Whether I’m coaching football, basketball or softball, it’s about getting the kids to mature and to expand their skill level.

“If you only care about the outcome of games, the kids are going to see through that. You have to care about the kids, and try hard to get the best out of them.”

At 6 p.m. Friday, Weslaco will face Pearland in the state semifinals at McCombs Field in Austin. It will mark the third time in four years the Valley has sent a team to the tournament, after San Benito played there in 2013 and 2015.

The trip marks a monumental step for both Weslaco and Rodriguez. Since the program started in the mid-1990s, the Lady Panthers had never reached the area round of the playoffs. Weslaco has long surpassed that mark this season, as it prepares for its sixth playoff opponent now.

Rodriguez has been at the center of it all, devising ways to improve his players’ skills, even if it goes against the norm sometimes.

“We don’t warm up like a traditional team, I don’t think,” Johnson said. “For a long time, we’ve gotten into four-square throwing, working on short, quick releases that come up in games all the time that you don’t normally practice. Hitting approach, those types of things, too. He talks to a lot of people, and he’ll bring different types of gadgets and goggles to have the players hit.

“He’s just done a terrific job finding things that work for him. I don’t know if it’s important that you have experience playing the sport, like a lot of other people think you do. If you can do the research and learn those skills, it’s up to you to implement it, and he obviously has.”

A decade ago, current San Benito coach Kristy Leal played for Rodriguez on both the softball and basketball teams. Leal remembers Rodriguez displaying much of the “aggression and enthusiasm” for softball that he showed in basketball.

“I think he had a lot of intensity, and that really helped us,” said Leal, who played college softball before serving as an assistant at Weslaco for two seasons. “Basketball’s a more intense game, a lot louder, a lot more action, and he really tried to bring that to the softball game.

“It helped him in that sense. Being so well-rounded in different sports, it really helped him develop his own style of coaching.”

Heading into Friday, Rodriguez will field a team that has defied most odds for state-qualifying programs. The Lady Panthers have little playoff experience or tradition. They have no seniors on roster. They’ve generated very little interest from college recruiters. And they reached the state semifinals despite finishing third in their district.

Pearland, by contrast, has 14 seniors, all of them committed to play college softball. And it is in the state tournament for the fifth time in its history, in search of its third state title, with the winningest coach (Laneigh Clark, 617 wins) in state history leading the way.

“Because (Rodriguez has) only coached for nine or 10 years, he’d be one of the younger coaches there at state,” Leal said. “So, for him to achieve all that success within that period of time, it says a lot. It says a lot about him, and it says a lot about softball in the Valley.”

[email protected]

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — It isn’t unusual for Weslaco High coach Mario Rodriguez to bring up a JV player in time for the playoffs. But it has come as somewhat of a surprise that Amberly Barrera has taken that promotion and turned it into a starting role.

The sophomore right fielder has made her impact felt immediately at right field, helping the Lady Panthers reach the UIL state tournament.

After going undefeated with the Weslaco Krush travel team and winning a Pony World Series in 2015, Barrera went on to play for Weslaco High’s JV team, which won a district title. Rodriguez said her appointment to the JV squad was intended to provide the sophomore with ample opportunity to grow, given the litany of returners on varsity.

But with Rodriguez opting to move Lauren De Anda from right field to second base, that created an opening for Barrera.

“I don’t think this has ever happened,” Rodriguez said in reference to a JV player instantly becoming a starter. “As a coach, you have to find what’s best for your team and what the strength of each player is. And for us, moving Lauren to second and moving Amberly to right field, it helps the team as a whole.

“She’s just cool, calm and collected. I think she takes everything in stride, and she’s done a great job for us.”

As the flex player, Barrera does not bat in games. That’s where freshman Helen Gonzalez, eighth in the batting order, comes in. By dividing those duties, Rodriguez feels “we’re able to get the most out of these players.”

Barrera said she anticipated the move late in the season, and began working with centerfielder Maddie Ybarra to make the adjustment.

While she didn’t envision playing a significant role on varsity this season, Barrera said she had an inkling Weslaco was destined to make a lengthy playoff push.

“We all just really got along,” Barrera said. “Coach told us that was going to help us get far. During practice, we’re all helping each a lot, trying to get better, no matter where we play.”

TAKING IT EASY

As Weslaco prepares for Friday’s UIL state semifinal against Pearland, Taylor Tafolla has had limited activity in practice this week.

The Weslaco junior has pitched every game in the playoffs, despite suffering from turf toe, a bruised hip and an injured forearm.

“She’s battling some injuries, so we’re trying to monitor the stuff that she does,” Rodriguez said. “She gets treatment in the morning and she gets treatment in the afternoon. We let her get as much rest as she can.

“If she had to pitch today, she’d pitch today. We’ve been doing this for a couple weeks. We need her for games; we don’t need her for practice.”

The Lady Panthers will hold one final practice today before heading to Austin on Thursday.

RARE COMPANY

While three of the 6A teams in the state tournament won their respective districts, Weslaco is one of only two teams that reached the semifinals as the third seed.

The Lady Panthers finished behind Edinburg North and Edinburg High, respectively, in District 31-6A. Meanwhile, Pearland, which faces Weslaco at 6 p.m. Friday at McCombs Field in Austin, captured the 22-6A crown this season.

[email protected]

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

The Weslaco High-Pearland matchup in the UIL state semifinals Friday could very well feature the widest disparity in experience among the remaining teams in the tournament.

Weslaco (33-7), which has shattered program records and is the only Valley team still in the playoffs, has no seniors on its roster. Pearland (31-6-1), by contrast, has 14 seniors, all of whom have signed on to play at the collegiate level.

“That’s a lot of seniors,” Weslaco coach Mario Rodriguez said. “But it’s like I’ve always told the girls, your classification doesn’t really matter. Your skills and ability speak for themselves.

“So them having 14 seniors, it doesn’t phase us. And that’s no disrespect to them. They’ve faced tough competition, and we faced tough competition. It’s just a matter of being able to make adjustments in the playoffs.”

The adjustments, for now, will come in Friday’s game, with Rodriguez committed to keeping his practice regimen the same this week. That’s daily practices, for less two hours, mostly focused on fielding and hitting.

With the school year over now, the Lady Panthers are practicing in the evenings to coincide with its 6 p.m. game scheduled for Friday.

Though Weslaco is facing the highest-ranked team (No. 2 in the state) that it has all year, Rodriguez is optimistic about his team’s chances, given the information he and his staff has gathered online, from sites like YouTube and MaxPreps.

“You know, we didn’t have much information on (Corpus Christi) Carroll, so that’s probably why we dropped the first game (of the regional semifinals). Here, we have as much information on Pearland as we did with (New Braunfels) Canyon,” Rodriguez said, referencing the school Weslaco swept on Saturday.

“So playing in those series and playing those types of teams, that carries over from one game to the next, and the girls are piling up the experience. It’s like I told them, it’s not who has the most talent, but who has the most team chemistry. So this situation (facing more experienced teams) is nothing new for us.”

ON A ROLL

Pearland (31-6-1), the No. 2 team in the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association Softball Poll, is making its fifth trip to the state tournament.

In beating Katy, the 2015 state champions, on Saturday, the Lady Oilers secured Friday’s semifinal date against Weslaco, the No. 7 team in the state, at McCombs Field on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.

Should Weslaco win, it would mark the first time a Valley team has ever reached the UIL state final. If Pearland wins, it would keep alive its hopes of capturing a third state title and its first since 2010.

Pearland last reached the state semifinals in 2011.

NEW FACES

Of the eight teams headed to the state from Class 5A and 6A, three are making their first appearance in the tournament.

Weslaco, which had never advanced beyond the area round of the playoffs prior to this year, is among them, along with Atascocita (6A) and Birdville (5A).

[email protected]

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

Weslaco High coach Mario Rodriguez came across of flood of e-mails when he checked his inbox Sunday morning.

Among those messages — many congratulatory after his team’s regional final win over the weekend — was one from the UIL announcing the state tournament pairings.

It was there that Rodriguez learned his team would face Pearland in the 6A state semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday. Should the Lady Panthers win, they would advance to the state championship to face either Keller or Humble Atascosita at 4 p.m. Saturday.

All games will be played at McCombs Field at the University of Texas at Austin.

“You get that e-mail, and you just go and try to get as much information about the opposing the team as you can,” Rodriguez said. “Us, as a coaching staff, we’ll come up with a practice plan and see if there’s anything that we need to do differently to prepare for them.

“But, you know, you’ve come this far with what you’re doing, so you try to keep things as normal and routine as you can.”

The Lady Panthers (33-7), No. 4 in the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association Softball Poll, are coming off a two-game sweep over New Braunfels Canyon (27-11), the No. 7 team, at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi.

They’re 11-2 in the playoffs, having sweep three opponents, including Saturday’s series to capture the Region IV-6A title.

Weslaco High is only the second Valley program ever to advance to the UIL state tournament in softball. San Benito did it in 2013 and 2015, losing each time to Lewisville in the semifinals.

On Friday, the Lady Panthers will take on their toughest opponent yet in Pearland (31-6-1), the Region II-6A champions and ranked No. 2 in the state.

“They have a lot of players that are signed to college, a lot of seniors,” Rodriguez said. “They’re all committed somewhere. They have a lot of speed. From the clips we saw online, they do a lot of small ball. It’s different than what we’ve faced in the playoffs, but we’re not too unfamiliar with it.”

Up next, if Weslaco wins, is No. 1 Keller (30-7) from Region I-6A or No. 5 Humble Atascosita (30-6) from Region III-6A.

Should that happen, it would mark the first time a Valley team has ever reached the UIL state championship in softball.

Already, the Lady Panthers have exceeded anything their program has ever accomplished. Never had they advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs, and now they’re preparing for their sixth playoff opponent.

“It’s kind of nice,” Rodriguez said about the buzz surrounding his program. “The mayor of Weslaco (David Suarez) had the police department escort us all the way in from Raymondville or Harlingen, which was cool. The girls kind of liked that. Then we came and they blocked all the lights and we made it to the drop-off area at school.

“They took the special treatment coming in. After a long trip, it was nice.”

[email protected]

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — Taylor Tafolla wore a wide smile on her face Saturday, after Weslaco High came away with a victory in Game 2 of the Region IV-6A final.

Through seven innings, her Lady Panthers teammates did their best to distract New Braunfels Canyon pitcher Brooke Vestal, directing chants and noisemakers at her, eventually prompting an umpire to set in and issue Weslaco a warning.

By then, however, the damage had done. Vestal went deep into the counts as the game wore on. She walked six batters, hit four of them and allowed 11 hits as she threw upward of 160 pitches Saturday in a 7-1 loss at Cabaniss Field.

“Yeah, we could be annoying,” Tafolla said, grinning.

Throughout the playoffs, the Lady Panthers (33-7) have looked for any type of edge in an attempt to get over the first-round hump. To start the playoffs, coach Mario Rodriguez informed his players they wouldn’t be receiving bi-district shirts because the bar had been set much higher than that.

Ever since, the Lady Panthers have won 11 of 13 games to become only the second Valley program ever to reach the UIL state tournament.

Three times in the first three innings, Weslaco loaded the bases, and each time it came away with runs, despite working against two outs and the No.4-ranked team in the state.

“You have to get in their heads, make a lot of noise,” Tafolla said. “Just be as loud as you can.”

For a third game in a row, dating back to the regional semifinals, Vestal walked in a run. It went on to happen three times Saturday, giving Weslaco a 3-0 in the lead in the third inning, before Audrey Escamilla added two more runs with a hit to center field to make it 5-0.

“Our main goal today was to get her off her game, trying to intimidate,” said Alyssa Escamilla, who scored four runs. “Coming into this game, she wasn’t as strong as (Friday in Game 1). I think we made her less confident, and she just started slowing down.

“When she was walking us, we were trying to get in her head, trying to get her off the game, doing everything we could to get her to walk us more. We were just trying to being loud, saying trying to say things to intimate her.”

Though only a sophomore, Vestal was dominant heading into the regional finals. The University of Oklahoma commit routinely struck out between 8 to 10 batters during the latter stages of the playoffs. And though she struck out eight on Saturday, Weslaco showed little signs of resistance at the plate as the game wore on.

“She’s a great pitcher,” Rodriguez said. “She throws a lot of heat, a lot of movement. She’s probably the fastest pitcher we’ve ever face. I know once her pitch count got up, we’d give ourselves a chance to stay in it. Our approach was to take her deep and hope her velocity came down.”

“I think a lot (of the team’s success) has to do with our chemistry and being able to put together hits, being there for one another,” he added. “Just things that go unseen that helps you get to this point. Everything needs to fall into place.”

[email protected]

MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — Weslaco High coach Mario Rodriguez keeps a handwritten note with him each game that reads “60 feet at a time, 1 run at a time.”

On occasion, Rodriguez will dig deep into his pocket to retrieve it, reminding himself, and by virtue his players, to stay within the moment. Weeks ago, the Lady Panthers exceeded expectations by advancing past the area round of the playoffs for the first time in program history.

Now, they find themselves in rare company, qualifying for the UIL state tournament after beating New Braunfels Canyon 7-1 in Game 2 of their Region IV-6A final Saturday at Cabaniss Field.

Weslaco (33-7) becomes only the second Valley program to reach state after San Benito broke ground in 2013 and 2015.

The Lady Panthers scored three times off walks, and Charlene De Anda and Audrey Escamilla came through with run-scoring hits as they punched their tickets to the state tournament June 3-4 in Austin.

“It’s unreal,” Escamilla said. “No one thought we would get this far, and now we’re here.”

Battling injuries throughout district, Weslaco showed few signs of such a run. The team finished third in the District 31-6A standings, with pitcher Taylor Tafolla (turf toe) and Escamilla (lower back), among others, battling injuries.

And in a rematch of last year’s bi-district series, the Lady Panthers needed to rally from a one-game deficit to beat Brownsville Veterans Memorial. Since that hiccup, however, Weslaco has won 11 of 12 postseason games, including Saturday’s to sweep the series.

The Lady Panthers now await the UIL’s announcement to learn their opponents in the state semifinals, scheduled for either 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. on June 3.

The final is set for 4 p.m. June 4. All games will be played at Red & Charline McCombs Field at the University of Texas at Austin.

“We know nothing’s promised,” Rodriguez said, digging the note out of his pocket. “So we just talk about the here and the now, and try to stay in the moment.”

A day after holding New Braunfels Canyon — the No. 4-ranked team in Class 6A in the Texas Girls Coaches Association Softball Poll — to six hits, Weslaco surrendered only four to close out the series.

The seventh-ranked Lady Panthers gave up just one run (unearned) after an outfield error paved the way for Canyon to score from second in the bottom of the third inning.

It came after Weslaco High cashed in on three unearned runs (via walks) — each coming in the first three innings.

In the first two instances, Canyon pitcher Brooke Vestal walked in a runner and left the bases loaded with two outs before striking out the ensuing batter. In the third inning, however, Escamilla singled to centerfield, driving in two runs as Weslaco took a 5-0 lead.

Canyon (27-11) responded by opening the bottom half of that frame with a hit, and Weslaco went on to commit back-to-back fielding errors, allowing Savana Luna to score from second and trim the deficit 5-1.

Weslaco nearly committed a third error that inning when Tafolla overthrew to third base, forcing Jenny Guillen to step off third base. But the junior resumed her in position in time to tag out the base runner, and Weslaco retired the next batter.

De Anda finished 4-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and a run batted in. Escamilla, the leadoff hitter, scored three runs after getting on base four times (twice after being hit by pitches).

With sweeps over Eagle Pass (area round), Edinburg High (regional quarterfinals) and Canyon, Weslaco is one of four 6A teams in the state still alive in the playoffs.

[email protected]