By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — Having been struck out by a high rise ball with bases loaded in the third inning, Jenny Guillen couldn’t resist the urge to take another crack at it.

The stakes were much higher, though, in the sixth inning, with Weslaco tied and Guillen down two strikes. But the junior third baseman squared up, nonetheless, and crushed a solo home run to left field, lifting the Lady Panthers to a 4-3 victory in Game 1 of their Region IV-6A final against New Braunfels Canyon on Friday.

Guillen finished 2-for-3 at the plate, including a run-scoring double during the second inning that broke a scoreless tie. No hit, however, was bigger than her fifth home run of the season, which puts Weslaco in position to reach the UIL state tournament with a win today.

“I I knew she was going to throw a rise ball, and I was ready for it,” Guillen said. “The pitch came inside, so I kept my hands high and just knocked it out.

“Her rise balls are pretty good. They were getting us. Our timing just wasn’t there. But after a while, we started catching on. And we thought if we could get her tired, we could get in her head and that’s what happened.”

Guillen’s homer capped a six-hit night for Weslaco (32-7), which resumes the best-of-three series at 11 a.m. today at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi. Game 3, if necessary, will follow after 30 minutes.

Canyon pitcher Brooke Vestal denied Weslaco several offensive opportunities Friday. She struck out 10 batters, including one to close out each inning going into the sixth. Vestal retired Guillen in her second at-bat, with bases loaded, after Weslaco had scored two runs to tie the game, 3-3, in the bottom of the third.

That came after Vestal had walked two straight batters to load the bases and allow the Lady Panthers to walk in the tying run.

The next time up, however, Guillen made contact and watched the ball sail over the left-field wall.

“I was telling her, ‘Don’t swing for the high pitches. Don’t do it,’” teammate Taylor Tafolla said. “I saw it coming in and then — boom! — you see it go over, over and it was gone.

“That’s Jenny, though. She makes miracles.”

The go-ahead run helped atone for what was a costly top of the third inning for Weslaco. With a throwing error from shortstop to first, the Lady Panthers were unable to record their third out. That allowed Canyon (27-10) to get a runner in scoring position with Yasmin Perez up to bat. She proceeded to hit to shallow right, and Weslaco overthrew to third base, resulting in two runs for Canyon and a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Weslaco’s Charlene De Anda responded with a hit to center field, driving in Maddie Ybarra. And moments later, Vestal walked two batters, including Lauren De Anda intentionally, to load the bases and tie it for the Lady Panthers.

“These girls have been coming through all year,” Weslaco coach Mario Rodriguez said. “They’ve exceeded all our expectations. Even today, we kind of broke down defensively, but they gave themselves a chance.

“Take nothing away from Canyon. (Today’s) game is going to be a very tough game, but I think we stole one (Friday). And we have to continue working hard to close it.”

Though Weslaco allowed the same number of hits it totaled (six), it did not allow one through the final four innings. Tafolla retired 12 of 14 batters during the stretch, with two getting on base via errors.

“Taylor’s been pitching very good,” Guillen said. “She’s been hanging in there all season, coming back from turf toe. She’s just pitching strong, and our defense is playing well, too. And our bats, when they come through, they really come through.”

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By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Taylor Tafolla took her lumps as a freshman at Weslaco High, pitching virtually every game for a team that fell short of the playoffs, and typically looking to strike out every batter.

Now in her third season, Tafolla has become one of the better pitchers in the area, for the last Valley team still alive in the playoffs.

Having developed an array of pitches and continuity with her teammates, the junior is more poised now in the circle, working batters deep into the count, whenever necessary. She’s shown little fatigue through it all, pitching as many as three games within a 24-hour span, as the Lady Panthers rallied in two playoff series to advance to the Region IV-6A finals, beginning today.

Tafolla’s emergence coincides with Audrey Escamilla’s arrival at catcher. For years, the two cousins have played together on travel teams, building a rapport with one another. And with Escamilla filling a glaring hole behind the plate, it allowed for her sister, Audrey, to slide to shortstop.

With everyone in their natural positions, the Lady Panthers have flourished, winning nine of their last 11 playoff games to set up today’s best-of-three series against New Braunfels Canyon.

“When Taylor’s on the mound, defensively that makes us better because of the communication between the pitcher, catcher and shortstop,” coach Mario Rodriguez said. “They’ve been playing together since they were little, so all they need to do is give each other a look or a sign and they understand each other.”

“It’s not about who has the most talent,” Rodriguez added. “We all have talent, that’s why we’re in the playoffs. It’s about who has the best team chemistry. And I think the chemistry has allowed Taylor to rely on the defense, to where she doesn’t have to strike you out. She can get a batter to hit a ground ball, and her defense will take care of it.”

Through injuries, Tafolla is posting a 3.19 ERA in the playoffs. She suffered turf toe in district, forcing to miss the first half of the schedule, and then later nursed ailments in her arm and foot.

Still, Tafolla has pitched every playoff game, including last week’s come-from-behind series win over Corpus Christi Carroll.

“She won’t tell you that she’s hurt,” Rodriguez said. “She’ll pitch until her arm falls off. She’s one of those kids that wants the ball in her hands, no matter how big the game. She’s going to keep battling.

“Even through all her injuries, she’s still finding a way.”

With the “adrenaline and the emotion” of games, Tafolla said she has blocked out distractions.

There was a period this year when Weslaco fell victim to injuries, with Audrey Escamilla nursing back pains and a dislocated wrist, and a teammate suffering an ankle injury.

It was then that Tafolla turned back to the series of obstacles she faced with her travel ball team, playing under the sweltering heat, pitching a couple of games each days. Those instances, she said, helped prepared her for the challenges the Lady Panthers encountered this season.

And now, they stand just two wins from the UIL state tournament, in a season in which they had never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs.

“What helps is having a short memory and knowing my teammates have my back,” Tafolla said. “I know in the end, we’re a clutch team. Whether we get it in the beginning or the end, we’ll come through because we believe in each other.

“Alyssa constantly tells me, if I’m struggling on the mound, let them hit. Just let them hit, because I have a defense behind me to back me up.”

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By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — From as long as she could remember, Weslaco High freshman Audrey Escamilla has always played against older competition.

At 10, she joined under-14 teams to stay close with her sister Alyssa, two years her senior. And upon entering high school, Escamilla took on college-aged players in offseason games. It’s for that reason, coach Mario Rodriguez believes, that Escamilla has hardly shown her age during her first varsity campaign.

She’s batting a team-leading .417 during the playoffs, while posting a .472 on-base percentage, and shouldering a significant load as the starting catcher and No. 3 hitter during the Lady Panthers’ record-breaking playoff run.

“Audrey’s always played up in age, so she’s had to fend for herself early,” Rodriguez said. “That’s why she plays at the level that she plays. It shows in her confidence, because she’s never played like a freshman this year.

“She doesn’t even like to be called a freshman, even when we’re joking around.”

From the moment Rodriguez worked out Escamilla, he knew she’d be capable of making an immediate impact. In practices, she was among the more vocal players on the team, despite her age. She’d catch players attempting to steal base, even without her coach’s warning. And she had a clear read on batters and the type of pitches to call.

“When you see her do all those things, that’s when you say, ‘Oh, she’s legit,’” Rodriguez said. “I’m out there hitting to the girls, and I could hear her telling the girls, ‘you need to do this, you need to do that.’ Not only can she play her position well, but she knows what everyone around her should be doing.”

Escamilla’s emergence has come at an opportune time for Weslaco High, which is gearing up for a Region IV final against New Braunfels. Game 1 of their best-of-three series begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi.

She joined the team after the Lady Panthers had auditioned two players at catcher the previous season. Their starter, at the time, had been injured in a car accident, ruling her out for the season, and Weslaco divided the duties between Alyssa Escamilla and Gabby Rivera.

Then Audrey arrived. Having played the position since age 8, she was a natural fit, especially playing with pitcher Taylor Tafolla, her travel team partner.

Audrey has also delivered at the plate, hitting five home runs. Two of those came during their regional semifinal series against Corpus Christi Carroll. She had one in Game 1 to spark a 6-0 lead on Friday. And on Saturday, she crushed another as the Lady Panthers avoided elimination and rallied to win the series.

“I don’t really let those big moments get to me, because I don’t want to get overconfident in my next at-bat,” Audrey said. “I just stay level-headed and try to stay in the now.”

In what typically would have a transition year for a freshman, adjusting the varsity game, Audrey has flourished from the outset and has carved out a role for herself. Rodriguez believes the “bumps and bruises” she endured playing against older players has helped “slow the game down for her” as a freshman.

And even as she’s battled persisting lower-back pain, even during the latest playoff series, Audrey has forged ahead, becoming a key contributor for Weslaco High, one round away from the UIL state tournament.

“You know, I’ve just had to push through it and keeping going because I have to be here,” Audrey said. “I’m just taking things game by game, getting ready for anything.

“I knew it was going to be difficult (playing on varsity as a freshman), but I knew I was going to be able to handle it.”

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By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

LAREDO — After rallying to force Game 3 on Saturday, Edinburg North succumbed to the very pitfalls that put it in that predicament in the first place.

Leaving nine runners on base — including a full set loaded during the fifth inning — the Lady Cougars struggled to maintain their early lead or rally late, closing out their season with a 5-3 loss to New Braunfels Canyon in the Class 6A regional semifinals.

Edinburg North was one of two Valley teams still alive in the postseason Friday, when it made its fourth trip to the fourth round of the playoffs. It fell behind in Game 1, after missed opportunities on offense and costly errors on defense. And Saturday, matters played out much the same, even in a triumphant Game 2.

Up 4-3, the Lady Cougars left three runners on base during the seventh inning, but were able to survive after retiring the final three Canyon batters. In Game 3, however, those missed runs cost Edinburg North, which saw a 3-0 lead during the top of the third inning evaporate at Laredo ISD Zachry Softball Complex.

After opening a 2-0 edge in the top of the first, Edinburg North (32-9) struggled to manufacture much of anything on offense. The Lady Cougars went hitless the rest of the way, and Canyon pitcher Brooke Vestal went on to record nine strikeouts in a win.

What’s more, Edinburg North surrendered all four runs during the fourth inning — all coming with Canyon down two outs — and eight hits in total.

“We should’ve won this game (3), but poor defense there,” Lady Cougars coach Richard Tressler said. “We broke up a couple times defensively, and gave them some unearned runs that they shouldn’t have gotten.

“And you can’t do that at this level of play or this level of playoffs or it’s going to beat you, and it did. That coupled by what I told you last night, leaving people on base. That’s the bottom line.”

With two outs in the third inning, Canyon’s Jude Padilla drove in Savana Luna to slice it 3-1 for Canyon. Moments later, after a hit to centerfield, Edinburg North threw to third base in what would have been a third out. But because the umpires ruled that Edinburg North prevented a Canyon player’s pathway to second base, the bases were loaded.

In the next at-bat, Paige Meloni singled to left field, driving in two runs to put Canyon ahead for good.

Jackie Longoria, who pitched all three games for North, was tagged with a loss after lifting her team to a 4-3 win in Game 2.

“She’s a battler,” Tressler said. “She’s a great kid. Works hard. Deserved to win both those games (Saturday), and our defense folded up behind her. We made poor defensive decisions and didn’t come through offensively when we should have, with people in scoring position. That’s the bottom line.

“It’s a very simple game. You got to score the people that you have on base, and you can’t give them anything. And we did both of those things.”

Longoria’s counterpart, Vestal, also pitched the entire series. She yielded eight walks, including four during the third inning that loaded the bases and gave Edinburg North an unearned run to open a 3-0 lead.

Vestal also came through with a strikeout during the fifth inning that led to a half-swing by Maria Garza, resulting in a third out with three on for Edinburg North.

“There was a little concern,” Canyon coach Kevin Randle said. “I mean, they had the bases loaded, and we were talking about how much longer do we keep her? Is it one more run? It got to the point where it was one more walk, we’ll make the change. But she got out of the inning, and the next inning it was the same thing.

“And so we were close, but the kid’s a battler. I don’t know what you could say about her, she’s a tough kid and she’s able to get out of those situations.”

The loss for Edinburg North dampened any hope of an all-Valley regional semifinal, after Weslaco High rallied to beat Corpus Christi Carroll on the road Saturday.

“It was exhausting,” Randle said of his series against North. “We got what we expected. We knew they were good. We knew after (Friday) night they were going to be able to come out and really get after us, and they did.

“They battled us all the way to the end. Proud of our kids for finally getting momentum and taking charge late. But give their team credit. They made it really tough for us.”

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By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

LAREDO — It didn’t take long for Edinburg North coach Richard Tressler to diagnose what had gone wrong in Game 1 of his team’s regional semifinal series Friday.

North surrendered two unearned runs and left a dozen runners on base, allowing New Braunfels Canyon to rally late and hand North a 2-1 loss in their best-of-three series at Laredo ISD Zachry Softball Complex.

With North committing back-to-back errors in the fourth inning, Canyon loaded the bases and tied the game at one apiece. Then in the sixth inning, Canyon came through with a hit that bounced past North shortstop Ayissa Maldonado and into left field, paving the way for Canyon to score the go-ahead run and take a 1-0 series lead.

“They capitalized on our mistakes, and we didn’t take advantage of what they gave us,” Tressler said. “That was the difference in the game.”

At 1 p.m. today, North (31-8) will look to avoid consecutive losses for only the second time this season.

Heading into Friday, North had strung together 15 wins in 16 outings, including six straight to qualify for the regional semifinal for the fourth time in program history.

Facing Canyon (26-8), however, North fell short of maximizing its opportunities, leaving eight batters in scoring position, including the bases loaded to close out the game.

“One hit in any one of those situations blows that game wide open,” Tressler said. “We had four different innings we should’ve scored runs and didn’t.”

It was an uncharacteristic night offensively for Edinburg North, which had outscored its opponents 56-11 through six playoff victories. Jackie Longoria, the leadoff hitter, finished 1-for-3 at the plate with one walk and one run scored. Going into Friday’s game, she had .546 batting average.

And Klarissa Lopez, who bats .513 on the season out of the three hole, went 1-for-4 on Friday.

Through three innings, North hung on to a 1-0 lead, stemming from Longoria’s run off Abby Hinojosa’s hit to second.

But Brooke Vestal, the Canyon pitcher, scored in the fourth after an error at shortstop allowed the tying run to cross home. It was one of two miscues for Edinburg North all night, after opening the game retiring nine of 10 batters.

“They played a great game,” Canyon coach Kevin Randle said. “They kept us off balance all night at the plate.

“They played really solid defense, except for those miscues, and I think that was kind of the difference. We were just able to capitalize on those few situations.”

Longoria recorded four strikeouts and surrendered six hits. She dropped to 26-7 in the circle.

Vestal struck out eight for Canyon, including a stretch between the second and fourth innings in which she struck out six of seven batters.

“We just have to be disciplined and not swing at bad pitches,” Longoria said. “We just have to get it (today) because we didn’t play to expectations (Friday). We know that.

“We just have to play like we usually do, and hopefully everything goes as we want it.”

The loss marked the second time during these playoffs in which North lost the opening game of the series.

During the bi-district round, North endured a 3-2 road loss to McAllen Rowe before bouncing back the following day with back-to-back wins.

North will need the same type of outcome today, if it hopes to extend its season.

As it stands, North is one of two Valley teams still alive in the postseason, with Weslaco High also on the brink of elimination after losing to Corpus Christi Carroll 9-7 on Friday.

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By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Having played travel ball, Laurynn De Anda has grown accustomed to playing several positions.

Though a natural second baseman, De Anda jumped at the opportunity to play in the outfield last year. As a freshman, she felt it was the best way to acclimate to the game coming from middle school.

“It helped me with my speed, getting the balls behind first base,” she said, “and it’s helping a lot now because I’m able to be an all-around player.”

It’s that level of versatility and buy-in that has helped the Lady Panthers advance to today’s regional semifinal series at home against Corpus Christi Carroll.

Without any seniors on the roster, Weslaco’s playoff run has exceeded that of any other team in program history. It’s due in part to their interchangeable parts, with nine players listed as playing two or more positions, and three who’ve played at least three, including De Anda (at left, center and right field, and now second base).

“Playing in the outfield, you could just see how well she anticipated the ball,” coach Mario Rodriguez said. “She’s a very smart player. Probably not the fastest or the quickest girl there, but because she anticipates well, she puts herself in position to make plays.”

As a freshman, teammate Gabby Rivera was in a somewhat similar situation a year ago. Without a true catcher, Rodriguez appointed Rivera in that slot. She divided her time behind the plate and first base, looking for any opportunity to prove herself.

Right away, Rivera garnered positive feedback for her hitting, baserunning and defense. And along the way she earned Rodriguez’s trust in critical moments of games. She’s hit .435 during the playoffs, while recording 10 hits, eight runs scored and three RBIs. Now a full-time starter, Rivera has flourished at first base, playing alongside De Anda.

“Gabby was always someone who would do whatever she was asked to,” Rodriguez said. “We needed her to catch, and she did.

“The way I see things, your skills and ability don’t have a classification. Some of these girls have played since they were very little. Their skills are much more developed than someone who may be a sophomore or junior (in their first varsity season).”

With time, Rivera’s confidence grew at the plate. By her own admission, the cleanup spot in the lineup came with a mountain of expectations — something she didn’t feel comfortable with as a freshman. Now batting out of the six hole, Rivera is showing more confidence with her swing, and making more contact, recording a .444 on-base percentage during the playoffs. She’s also totaled seven hits, three of those doubles, and seven runs to go with six RBIs.

“With all the experience I got, it made me better,” Rivera said. “The four spot’s a big spot, and I got nervous. But now I’m calmer.”

De Anda has also made the best of her opportunities. Originally the starter in right field to open the year, De Anda moved to second base for the playoffs. Rodriguez tinkered with the move in the final district game of the season after experimenting with it in practice.

“I’ve never made a move that late in the season, but you’re always trying to make your team better,” Rodriguez said. “You might be winning games, but you always wonder how can we get better? What can we get out of them to make them better?”

“They just wanted to get on the field,” Rodriguez added, referring to De Anda and Rivera. “They’re team players. Whatever it took, they did it. This year, it just so happens that everything fell into place for them. They came in and made plays.”

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By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

After one season at the helm, Carlos Saenz is out as Valley View’s head football coach.

Saenz, previously a coordinator and assistant for 20 years at various schools, said he was reassigned Wednesday morning.

“I’m thankful to have gotten the opportunity to work with those kids,” Saenz said in a phone interview. “They’re getting bigger, faster, stronger. We qualified two 7-on-7 teams to go to College Station. Our athletic period grew to over 100 kids (from 25) since I got here.

“I really don’t know why (the reassignment) happened, but I’m glad I got the opportunity to make an impact.”

A message left with Valley View ISD superintendent Rolando Ramirez seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Sanchez went 0-10 in his first and only season with the program. Prior to that, he was the offensive line coach and head softball coach at PSJA North.

Through the first six games of the 2015 season, the Tigers lost by an average margin of 5.2 points. Though the team one won more game (1-9) the previous season under coach Ubaldo Peña, that 2014 group opened the first five games losing by an average of 24.8 points.

The Tigers finished the year with four college signings. Two Valley View players (Carlos Batiz, Edgar Rodriguez) will take part in the Rio Grande Valley Coaches Association East/West All-Star Football Game this weekend.

“I’m happy with what we were able to build,” Saenz said. “I’m leaving that place, as a head coach, content that I was able to build and have a solid foundation there. Whoever comes in is going to have an opportunity to do something special there.”

VALLEY-SOFTBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, May 20

Regional semifinals

Game 1: Corpus Christi Carroll at Weslaco High, 7 p.m.

Game 1: Edinburg North vs. New Braunfels Canyon, 7:30 p.m. at Zachry Field in Laredo

Saturday, May 21

Regional semifinals

Game 2: Edinburg North vs. New Braunfels Canyon, 1 p.m. at Zachry Field in Laredo (Game 3, if necessary, will start after 30 mins.)

Game 2: Weslaco High vs. Corpus Christi Carroll, 3:30 p.m. at Cabaniss Field, Corpus Christi (Game 3, if necessary, will start after 30 mins.)

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — If there’s one thing Pablo Treviño has picked up as a three-year lettermen at Edinburg Vela, it’s that “speed kills.”

The SaberCats learned that painful lesson last year, when they collided against a faster Austin Vandegrift squad in the third round of the playoffs. Nine practices into the spring, however, Treviño has seen improvement in his defense’s quickness off the line.

“It’s the nature of the game,” Treviño said. “If you’re not fast off the ball, you’re not fast enough to chase someone down.

“You’re not going to go anywhere.”

As the school prepares to graduate its first four-year class, the football team is making way for a host of changes. That means plugging in new players at key positions — including quarterback, receiver, among others — and modifying their approach on both sides of the ball.

With six starters back on defense, Edinburg Vela coach Michael Salinas is comfortable with his players’ understanding of schemes, which is why he has made a concerted effort to have them focus on running and tackling.

“Fast and physical,” defensive lineman Jesus Castillo said. “That’s what we live by.”

With Nick Enriquez, Ryan Rodriguez and Jeremy Ruiz back on the line, the SaberCats feel they have the foundation in place to improve a defense that allowed 22.8 points per game last year.

Where Vela will also surely see a stark difference is on offense, after graduating Fabian Pedraza, one of the more accurate passers in the Valley last year, and Michael Arguelles, a 6-foot-2 wideout.

Nate Garcia, an incoming junior, is battling for the starting quarterback role, along with Mark Buhidar, a sophomore-to-be. Garcia played sparingly in a backup role last year, while Buhidar picked up most of his experience on the JV team.

Salinas lauded Garcia for his ability to extend plays, and throw the ball downfield. And he commended Buhidar for his adjustment to the varsity level through spring practices.

“Everything’s looking good,” Garcia said. “I’ve been working on my arm strength, my accuracy and my speed. Got to be quick out there.

“You always have to stay on your feet, always have to be prepared to get out of the pocket, run around, look for the open man. Keep your eyes up.”

Only one Valley team (McAllen Memorial, 600 points) scored more than Edinburg Vela (473) did last year, and they’re hoping to sustain that level of attack with Robert Guerra back in the fold. Through nine regular season games, Guerra rushed for a district-high 20 touchdowns and 8.1 yards per carry on his way to capturing the 31-5A MVP.

Guerra, clocking in at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash, will once again be counted on to shoulder ignite the offense, with sophomore Christian Flores expected to provide some relief. They’ll play behind returning starters Jaime Alaniz, Joey Carreon and Caleb Luna.

“We lost a big graduating class (with 33 players), so most of this offseason is focused on helping these guys develop an identity,” Salinas said. “We believe culture will beat talent, so we’ve spent a lot of time developing a team culture and trying to enhance that with spring football.”

FILLING HOLES

In graduating Michael Arguelles, Eddie Luna and Elijah Reyna, the SaberCats lost their top three wide receivers.

They’ll look to make that up with Brandon Guzman, Marco Parodi, Nico Rodriguez and Marcos Santos.

“We’ve sort of put a lot on their plate early to see what they can handle,” Salinas said. “We’ve moved forward in spring with our regular installation, knowing that we have some growing pains at that position. But luckily for us they’ve responded very well.”

Last year, Vela’s aerial attack accounted for 47.3 percent of its offense.

NEW SURROUNDINGS

Edinburg Vela had the second-largest enrollment number (1,962) in district last year, when it went undefeated through the regular season and into the third round of the playoffs.

Now in 31-6A, the SaberCats face a set new of challenges, moving up a classification and finding themselves as the fifth-largest school in an eight-team district.

“I think there’s a little bit of excitement level for our guys,” Salinas said. “We’re back battling with the Edinburgs and the PSJAs. There is going to be some adjustments. Those will be week to week. We have a lot of respect for everyone in our district. And right now we’re just trying to do the best we can to control what we can control, and try to be as good as we can as a football team, day in and day out.”

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By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — More than five and a half hours after the opening pitch in Game 2 of their best-of-three regional quarterfinal series, Weslaco High put the finishing touches on an 8-4 victory over Edinburg High on Saturday.

The game was delayed for nearly four hours after due to lightning nearby the Edinburg High stadium. With harsh winds and a softball field under water, both coaches agreed an hour after the initial delay to move the game to Edcouch-Elsa, where it was also raining.

The game resumed around 9:20 p.m., with one out in the top of the seventh inning and Weslaco High up to bat.

“Not knowing how mother nature was going to react or what was going to happen, I thought we were going to be able to finish it (as planned),” Lady Panthers coach Mario Rodriguez said. “Being so close and then waiting, that was the worst.”

He added: “I think we’ve taken the tough road for the first round, second round, now the third round. We’ve faced really good competition. For them, it’s who’s next? Let’s play ball.”

Weslaco (26-6), which had never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs, moves on to the regional semifinals after sweeping Edinburg. It’ll face Corpus Christi Carroll at a time, date and place to be determined.

Before the weather became one of the overlying storylines in Saturday’s game, the Lady Panthers had built a significant lead by the third inning. They scored six runs in the second, five of those unearned. It came via two errors, a wild pitch and a walk, as Weslaco took a 6-1 advantage.

Then in the third, Gabriela Rivera got on base with a double before an error on Helen Gonzalez’s hit scored Rivera from second.

“They played great, and our kids made some mistakes early in the game that cost us,” Edinburg coach Jesse Banda said.

The Lady Bobcats (24-10) then replaced backup pitcher Amber Reyes with Dezi Marmolejo, who hurled a complete game Friday in a 7-1 loss to open the series. Through the ensuing three innings before the weather delay, Marmolejo retired seven batters while allowing four hits and no runs.

In the process, the Lady Bobcats chipped away at the deficit. Leadoff hitter Valorie De Leon, who finished 3-for-4 at the plate, singled to get on base before scoring on an error at shortstop following Marmolejo’s hit. Then, Kayla Contreras crushed a hit to center field that was mismanaged, allowing Marmolejo to score and cut the deficit 7-3.

Taylor Tafolla, who pitched a complete game for Weslaco on Friday, finished Game 2 allowing seven hits and one walk. She also recorded two strikeouts.

Weslaco yielded its final run in the fourth inning, when De Leon singled to left, driving in Kristee Salas.

Rivera, who finished 3-for-4, gave the Lady Panthers an 8-4 advantage when she scored from second off Gonzalez’s single to second.

Now, Weslaco will prepare for Corpus Christi Carroll, which swept San Antonio Johnson in the third round, leaving the Lady Panthers as one of two upper-Valley teams still alive in the postseason.

“We knew we had something special with the kids there,” Rodriguez said. “But to say that I knew exactly that we would be here, no. Just enjoying the ride here.”

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