BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Saturday morning before the big game, Edinburg Vela got the worst possible omen.
Senior outfielder Matthew de la Cruz was warming up. He was still nursing an arm injury he picked up during Vela’s regional quarterfinal series against Los Fresnos, but he was eager to contribute.
“I’m not sure exactly how he rolled his ankle, but he rolled it pretty bad, to where it took him out of what we wanted to do,” Vela coach Jaime Perez said.
During the game, his teammates lifted him up onto the railing so he could watch and cheer, because he didn’t appear to be able to put any weight on his injured ankle. After the game, his teammates helped him as he walked through the handshake line, then carried him over to Vela’s final huddle for the year.
San Antonio Churchill was, as Perez described, “a buzz saw,” and the Chargers cut right through Vela on Saturday, taking Game 2 of the regional semifinals 9-2. Churchill swept Vela out of the playoffs, just a year after the Chargers eliminated McAllen High in the same round.
“Losing (de la Cruz) really hurt,” Perez said. “He was that consistent leadoff guy. We used three different guys trying to replace him. We just couldn’t get it right.”
Still, Vela didn’t make any excuses after the game.
“We just didn’t make the plays when we needed to,” Perez said. “We pride ourselves on making the routine plays, and we just didn’t get that done. It came back to haunt us. We just didn’t throw enough strikes to win games.”
De la Cruz is committed to play baseball at Incarnate Word next year.
“That was really tough,” junior shortstop Ramsey Amador said. “I felt so bad for that guy. He is such a great player. Even when he got hurt today, he wanted to go out there and play. He will do really good over at UIW, and I can’t wait to see what he can accomplish there.”
Churchill scored three runs in the first two innings and never looked back.
Vela senior pitcher Adam Alviso has been dominant all year, picking up eight wins and posting a 1.87 ERA, but he just didn’t have it on Saturday.
“Every pitcher goes through that,” junior Nico Rodriguez said. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but Marc (Esquivel) came in and threw well.”
Esquivel, a junior, entered with one out and the bases loaded in the second inning, but he induced a double-play ball that got Vela out of the jam.
“My mindset was just to throw strikes. I know my team has my back, so even if I get hit, they will clean it up,” Esquivel said. “The main thing was just mix it up and keep them off-balance. That was the game plan going in.”
Esquivel executed to near perfection, pitching 3 2/3 innings while allowing only one earned run on three hits.
“At this level, you can’t let it get to 3, 4 or 5 to 0 if you even want to have a chance,” Perez said. “I pulled the trigger right away and went to the junior righty, and he gave us a chance. He gave us three or four innings. He chewed up innings and gave us a chance.”
Through four full, Vela didn’t have much of anything going on at the plate, and the game looked to be slipping away. Then, freshman catcher Jaime Perez Jr., son of coach Perez, stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the fifth.
“I knew I was going to get a fastball in, so I was ready for it,” Perez Jr. said. “My mentality going up to the plate was, ‘I need to get a hit.’ We were down, and we needed base runners. I looked into the dugout after the hit, and I knew what I did was right.”
Perez Jr. connected on a double that brought the crowd at UTRGV Baseball Stadium to life. Rodriguez stepped up to the plate with two outs and Perez Jr.’s courtesy runner, senior Joel Jasso, at second.
“There was a lot of pressure, but we knew if we just kept hitting, we would eventually be able to break through,” Rodriguez said. “They were throwing me fastballs and sliders all day, so I hit the fastball on the first pitch.”
Rodriguez notched a double that scored the run. Senior Aaron Galvan drove in Rodriguez on the following at-bat.
As the season came to a close, the SaberCats reflected on their year. Vela won the first district title in program history and advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the second time, and then reached the fourth round for the first time.
“It was one heck of a year,” Galvan said. “We made history. We won a district title. It was a great ride, and I couldn’t be happier. Of course, I am a little ticked off that we lost this round, but it is a lesson learned.”
Saying goodbye to the seniors will be the hardest part.
“That’s my guy (Galvan). I can’t even put it into words,” coach Perez said, fighting back tears. “He was our captain. He was our leader. He knew his role, and he made us work. That guy was our heartbeat, man.”
“Coach Perez a big part of my life and a big part of my game,” Galvan said. “He’s taught me a lot. He taught me how to be a man. We have had our ups and downs, and I am grateful for him. He is a great aspect to my life, and he’s like a second father to me. I am grateful for everything he has done for me.”
The other seniors on the team also made an impact on the lives of those around them.
“Adam prepared me a lot,” Perez Jr. said. “Knowing he has been in these positions before, the tight games, one-run games, walk-offs, he prepared me for that. Kudos to him. He taught me everything that I need to be successful. I love him for it.”
“This senior class set the foundation for the future of this program at Vela High School,” coach Perez said. “They created the standard for playing here. The camaraderie that is inside that dugout is special.”
The SaberCats graduate eight seniors. Five of them played in the series against Churchill, and only two were on the field for the final out.
“We are really confident for next year,” Rodriguez said. “We like what we have coming back, and we have some guys coming in that we feel really confident.”
“They have a big group coming back,” Galvan added. “Yeah, they lose me, but Ramsey will be able to pick it up. The freshmen will pick it up. We will be all right. The foundation is there. They know they just have to play hard and believe in each other, and they will be fine.”
The 2018 SaberCats will be remembered for their accomplishments on the field. But for the players, the relationships they have created are what will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Some of those relationships ended today. Others are just beginning.
One relationship will not change. Galvan and Amador will remain best friends. Galvan is off to UTRGV next year, but the proximity will allow the two to continue their long-standing tradition of late night batting cages trips and shared workouts.
“It is tough to see him leave, because he is my best friend, and everything we did together over the last few years really helped us,” Amador said. “Our grind won’t stop, though. We are still going to go to the cages together. I’ll still see the guy.
“It was a hell of ride together. Now I have to step up and fill in, because Aaron is gone. After that, we will be back on the same team again here at UTRGV, and I can’t wait to see how far we can go.”