By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
LOS FRESNOS — Los Fresnos started quickly, but it wasn’t enough to match the offensive output by Edinburg Vela.
The Falcons scored four early runs, but the Sabercats mounted the comeback with 10 runs in the last two innings in a 12-7 victory in Game 2 of a Class 6A regional quarterfinal series Friday.
Trailing 5-2, Vela (26-5) put up seven runs in the sixth inning and added three more in the seventh as it’s bats got going at the right time to tie the series at 1 and force the deciding Game 3, which is today at 2 p.m. at PSJA High.
“We made a couple bad pitches and they hit them and scored some runs.” Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said. “They took the lead and started playing with a little more excitement on that side. The credit goes to those guys, they swung the bats when they had to … they’re a good hitting team and we made a couple pitches that weren’t very good and they hit them.”
Los Fresnos (27-10) got started quickly and scored a run in the each of the last three innings, but it wasn’t enough to match the Sabercats flurry of runs late in Game 2.
The Falcons wasted no time getting a lead. Los Fresnos put up four runs during its first at-bat, a run on an error, an RBI double by JJ Sanchez and a two-run single by Ian Danielson gave it a good cushion to start.
Vela finally got on the board two innings later with a two-run home run by Ramsey Amador to cut the deficit in half.
The Falcons added a run to extend their lead to 5-2 on a wild pitch and had a few plays on defense that helped keep the lead.
But the momentum shifted quickly in the sixth inning. The Sabercats exploded for seven runs, including an RBI singles by Nico Rodriguez and Jaime Perez, Jr., Eric Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home a run and Joey Recio added a two-run single down the line in right to take a 9-5 lead.
“That caused a lot of damage,” Edinburg Vela coach Jaime Perez said of the runs in the sixth and seventh innings. “That’s a good group of guys over there, they’re well-coached and do a lot of great things … they made us work. We got punched in the mouth (Friday), like a boxer they knocked us down two or three times, but we still kept getting up. When Amador hit the bomb, it turned a switch for us.”
Los Fresnos got one back in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single by Carlos Perez to cut it to 9-6.
Vela wasn’t done though and added three more runs in the seventh. A two-run double by Amador and an RBI single by Martinez pushed the lead to 12-6. Amador finished 2 for 4 with a walk, a home run, a double, scored two runs and had four RBIs.
The Falcons got a sacrifice fly by Joseph Munoz in the bottom half, but it wasn’t enough as the series moved back to even.
Adam Alviso got the win after he pitched four innings and allowed five runs on five hits, walked three, struck out five and had four hit batsmen for the Sabercats.
Cristian Hernandez took the loss for Los Fresnos after he came in in relief and got roughed up in 3 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs on five hits, walked three and struck out three.
Perez was happy to get the win and continue the series that has had plenty of intense moments in two games thus far.
“They made us work, but what a game it’s going to set up for (today),” he said. “It’s two great clubs just duking it out right now … it’s a heavyweight fight. It’s baseball, we’ll just see what happens, everyone is emptying all we have to get W’s.
“It’s a helluva fight, it’s a great series. We’re toe-to-toe and we’re both a little wobbly, but it is what is and we’ll see what happens (today).”
For the Falcons, they had the advantage Thursday. Now it’s winner-take-all.
“We have to regroup, we have seven innings to play and we’ll go from there,” Morales said. “Anything can happen, we’re tied up, back at zero-zero. Whoever wins the next game is advancing to the next round.
“Nothing changes (for us), it’s a one-game playoff, so let’s go.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.