CLAIRE CRUZ | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD
Under a blanket of fog on a cold Thursday night in Los Fresnos, the Falcons managed to make their own silver lining.
They closed day one of the Port Isabel/Los Fresnos Varsity Baseball Tournament with a 6-1 winner’s bracket victory over Rio Hondo despite less than ideal conditions and some early-season rust.
“ We’re not producing the way we want to, but it’s early,” Falcons head coach Rene Morales said. “We just came out on top, made a couple more plays than they did.”
Los Fresnos stranded 10 runners in the five-inning contest, but Rio Hondo’s pitching woes kept the Falcons in control. Bobcat hurlers sophomore Ivan Juarez and junior Derek Castellanos allowed seven walks, with five of those coming in a four-run third that put Rio Hondo in too deep of a hole to overcome.
Falcons senior pitcher Alex Salas had quite the opposite kind of night. He gave up just two hits and one walk while recording five strikeouts.
“ The most (Alex) had gone was two innings, so we kind of pushed him,” Morales said. “He did a great job tonight and the defense helped him out.”
Salas started off strong and in command and had a no-hitter going through three innings. But fatigue and the weather took a toll as he went deeper into the game.
Rio Hondo took advantage and started to put the ball in play in the bottom of the fifth. After a defensive miscue loaded the bases full of Bobcats with two down, Salas and senior shortstop Cross Gonzalez battled at the plate.
Gonzalez— who recorded the first Rio Hondo hit of the night to start the fourth and scored the only run— sent the seventh pitch of the at-bat deep into left-center field.
It was a good shot, but the play made by Los Fresnos’ senior left fielder Lee Trevino was better. He dove to his glove side to snag the ball just before it hit the ground to end the game.
“ That guy (Trevino) works harder than the next, he’s just a dog and a great player in the outfield,” Salas said. “Today wasn’t really a good day for us, but it wasn’t terrible. We got two dubs and handled business. I feel strong about my teammates.”
Though it wasn’t their best effort, the Falcons found a way to move on and will try to improve in their next game Friday night.