By KEVIN K. LU | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
EDINBURG — Edinburg High’s softball team held off McAllen Rowe by a 2-0 score in the Game 1 of their Class 6A area-round playoff series on Thursday night.
The series now shifts to Rowe for Game 2 tonight.
Both starting pitchers went the distance on Thursday. The only difference was the performance of the defense behind them. The Lady Warriors committed a pair of errors in the field and both led to the game’s only runs.
Edinburg High had runners on first and second during the second inning, when what looked to be a tailor-made double play ball was hit toward shortstop. Maddie Prukop flipped to second for the second out, but the second baseman threw past first base, allowing pitcher Desi Marmolejo to score and give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
It stayed that way until the fifth inning, when Edinburg High had a runner on second with one out. Cynthia Contreras grounded to the first base bag for an easy put out. Rowe’s first baseman then tried to throw behind Rebecca Delgado rounding third base. The ball bounced away from the bag and allowed Delgado to make it a 2-0 Bobcats lead.
“In the playoffs, it’s pitching, defense and clutch hitting,” Lady Bobcats coach Jesse Banda said. “Our defense played good (Thursday).”
Rowe’s best chance to score came with two outs during the top of the sixth inning. Carolina Rodriguez hit a double to the wall that dropped right on top of the left field foul line. The next batter, Chelsea Boyd, then lined a hit up the middle. Rowe coach Ozzy Hernandez waved Rodriguez toward home, but Lady Bobcats centerfielder Amber Reyes unleashed a perfect throw to home to end the inning. Catcher Angie Salinas caught the throw on the fly and tagged out Rodriguez by a step.
“Reyes made a hell of a throw to get her out at home and that was a momentum-shifter right there,” Banda said. “Because if they score, with one more inning to go, they’re right in the game.”
Rowe looked to have a chance to score during the second inning with two on and one out. But Marmolejo snuffed out the rally by striking out the next two batters. Marmolejo threw seven innings for Edinburg High, striking out seven and allowing six hits.
Her counterpart Krystal Ramos threw six innings, striking out one, allowing four hits and two unearned runs. Boyd had three hits in three plate appearances but was stranded each time.