TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
EDINBURG — Edinburg High coach Robert Valdez has been saying all year long that this year’s Bobcats are not 2015’s team.
They are not the obvious powerhouse with arms for days and Paul Bunyan bats.
This year’s Bobcats, however, are a determined bunch. They know how to scratch, claw and fight for every win, and Saturday afternoon they willed their way to 6-5 Game 3 victory and a Class 6A bi-district playoff series win over San Benito, eliminating the Greyhounds in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.
“Our record may not be where we want it to be, but here we are nonetheless defending our colors each and every night,” Valdez said. “We were really tested by adversity and by a very good San Benito team today, and these guys just found a way to win today.”
The Bobcats (18-9) move on to the area round where they will face Del Rio, but that wasn’t such a sure thing earlier in the day. Edinburg was bested in Game 2 by San Benito 10-4, when suddenly the Bobcats were shaky in the field and quiet at the plate. Meanwhile, the Greyhounds played like their lives were on the line and showed hustle and emotion to get the victory and tie the series 1-1.
With Texas Tech signee and pitching ace John Gonzalez not available after he no-hit San Benito on Friday night, the Bobcats knew they were going to have to work hard to win Game 3. What’s more, Jaime Cansino was set to pitch Game 2, but cut the index finger on his throwing hand before the game and did not take the mound. However, he demanded the ball in Game 3 and started.
It was an inauspicious start for the junior, giving up three runs and three hits in the opening inning and allowing San Benito to carry momentum right over from Game 2. But he soon settled into a nice groove over the next five innings, allowing just two hits and no runs over that stretch. In the meantime, Edinburg’s bats finally came alive, especially in the third inning, to put the game out of reach of the visitors.
Still, it was Cansino’s performance on the mound that helped take the Bobcats into the area mound. The lanky right-hander said he had to adjust his mechanics some in order to pitch with the injury, but once he got past the first inning, he felt good.
“It brings the real meaning of blood, sweat and tears into the game. You do whatever you love for your family,” Cansino said. “There was discomfort, but there was nothing more important than the win and to keep going in the playoffs.”
San Benito rallied with two outs in the seventh. The Greyhounds scored two runs to make the score 6-5 and David Vargas’ RBI double put him in scoring position to tie the game. But it was not to be as the next batter popped up for out No. 3, handing the series to Edinburg.
San Benito coach Ram Partida said he was proud of his squad and was emotional when he said he was sad to see his core of seniors play their last game together, including his son and first baseman Joseph Partida.
“We knew what we had yesterday with John Henry (Gonzalez). So for Game 2, we felt confident already,” Partida said. “We started scoring those runs again and felt it was our game. Come Game 3, we really focused. We started off strong. And I just think we hit the wall, but no excuses. That’s a great team over there. I congratulate them. But our kids never quit. We fight to the end.”
Edinburg senior third baseman Daniel Solis was stellar in Game 3, going 2-3 at the plate with three RBIs, a double, a single and a run scored. He also had a hit in Game 2. Gonzalez got on base safely in all three plate appearances in Game 3 and had a RBI double.