HARLINGEN — The Los Fresnos Falcons scored consistently and the Harlingen Cardinals did little to stop them.
Fueled by strong hitting and aided by Cardinal errors, the Los Fresnos Falcons walked out of Harlingen Field Tuesday night with a 13-7 win and a 4-0 District 32-6A record.
On the night, the Falcons produced 12 hits and eight earned runs, while the Cards committed eight errors.
“We just scratched and hustled down the line because that’s what we preach in practice,” said Los Fresnos head coach Rene Morales. “If you put the ball in play and hustle down the line, something good is going to happen. We swung the bat well, got a few good cuts and put the ball in play.”
For the Cards, the loss is their third in a row and drops them to 1-3 in district play.
The Cardinal miscues started early Tuesday night.
With two on and two out in the top of the first, Los Fresnos’ George Villafranco hit a fly ball just out of the reach of Cardinal shortstop Justin Reta, allowing teammate Miguel Gonzalez to score the game’s first run.
Los Fresnos’ Mark Cortinas came in moments later on a passed ball, putting the Falcons up 2-0.
The Cards got on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a pair of runs brought in on a Hayes Duffy bunt and an RBI single by Punky Ortega to make it a 5-2 game.
Up 6-2 in the top of the third, Falcons left fielder Sammy Ramirez brought in Nate Reyna, but a Cardinal error also allowed Abel Rodriguez to come in moments later, putting the Falcons up 8-2.
The Falcons scored four runs on three hits in the third inning and led 9-2 heading into the bottom of the third.
That’s where Harlingen did their most damage on the night.
A pair of RBI singles from Boedy Flores and Ortega brought in four runs for the cards, while a Los Fresnos error at third base also brought in a run, making it a 9-7 game.
Unfortunately for Harlingen, they were unable to build on their five-run, four-hit third inning, as the Falcons continued to hit the ball.
“I told the guys to refocus and go back to work,” Morales said. “I’ve preached that the guys that if something bad happens, shake it off and focus on the next pitch.”
Picking up the win on the mound for the Falcons was Nick Montemayor, who pitched five scoreless innings and struck out eight.