By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
SAN JUAN — Looking to inject a spark in the batting lineup, Rio Grande City coach Nicole Smedley plugged in Anikah Garcia into the No. 8 spot.
Following the opening game of the best-of-three series, the junior had been removed to focus solely on her pitching duties. But with the Lady Rattlers looking to close out PSJA High, Smedley inserted Garcia, who pulled through with a two-run double during the fifth inning that put RGC ahead for good during a 9-5 series-clinching victory.
The win secured Rio Grande City’s first trip to the area round in six years.
“It was a team effort to come out and play to our full potential,” said Garcia, who improved to 16-9 in the circle. “I haven’t been hitting (the last two games), but I understand. I rather focus on my pitching and just come out and play.”
Since losing the opening game, the Lady Rattlers have hit their stride offensively. They beat PSJA High 11-4 on Friday before generating 15 hits — three times more than what it produced on Thursday — to win their second straight game and advance to the area round, where they will take on Somerset.
“Before, we would get hits every now and then, but not when we needed it,” Garcia said. “But these last two games is when it became consistent.”
Nadine Rios, the lead-off hitter, led that charge by going 5-for-5 at the plate, including two doubles, one run scored and an RBI.
With a 5-3 lead after Garcia’s two-run double, Rios scored again to give RGC (18-12) a 6-3 advantage.
PSJA High responded with two runs in the sixth, thanks to an Elisa Gracia RBI. That’s when RGC answered with three runs in the top of the seventh to create enough separation.
“Overall, as a team, we just didn’t hit the ball well,” PSJA High coach Teresa Thibodeaux said. “They got a good team over there. They take two or three bases on you very fast.”
The loss put an end to a record-setting year for the Lady Bears, who captured their first (co-)district title in the program’s history.
With seven seniors on the team, PSJA High forced a two-way tie for first place in District 32-5A before losing a seeding game against Mercedes. That’s when Lady Bears pitcher Valeria Gonzalez tweaked her hamstring, resulting in a noticeable limp during the opening round of the playoffs.
Gonzalez played, nonetheless, in what was her final high school game Saturday.