By MARK MAY | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
PHARR — Harlingen South took advantage of some PSJA North miscues to engineer a 13-1 victory over the Raiders in Game 1 of their best-of-three Region IV-6A quarterfinal playoff game Friday night.
The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run rule. Game 2 will begin at 5 p.m. today at Harlingen South. Game 3, if needed, would follow 30 minutes after Game 2.
The Raiders committed four errors which led to eight Hawk runs. Harlingen South scored twice in the first inning and then added four runs in the third, six runs in the fourth and one run in the fifth.
“The girls beat themselves,” PSJA North coach Stephanie Lugo said. “I told them a good athlete has short-term memory. You’ve got to move forward and do better.”
PSJA North went 13-1 en route to winning the District 30-6A title. They have since gone 4-2 in the playoffs. Harlingen South won its sixth straight game to improve to 31-6, including 4-0 in playoff games. The Hawks came into Friday’s matchup ranked 54th in the state by Max Preps.
“We’ve been playing well lately,” South coach Elias Martinez said. “We’re just continuing that same mental toughness. Tomorrow’s going to be another battle.”
Hawks sophomore pitcher Kylie Ruiz pitched five innings, giving up just five hits and one run while striking out one and walking two.
“She’s been steady all season long,” Martinez said. “She spoils us by how cool and collected she is.”
Harlingen South’s Kayla Rogers batted 3 for 4 with two runs scored. Teammate Natasha Canales went 2 for 4 and scored two runs. Krystal Gonzales (1 for 3) slugged a triple in the fifth inning and later came home on a wild pitch for her fourth run of the evening. She narrowly missed a triple back in the fourth when a deep ball to left field was ruled an error after the left fielder got a glove on the ball. Two runs scored on the play.
The Hawks generated 13 runs on 13 hits, including five hits in the third inning and six hits in the fourth when the team sent 11 batters to the plate. PSJA North had one run on five hits.
The Hawks took advantage of two throwing errors in the first inning to jump ahead 2-0. The Raiders scored their lone run in the second when Mary Casillas’ single to right field scored Angel Lozano from second base after Lozano had singled and stolen second.
Both Casillas and Lozano batted 2 for 2, collecting four of their team’s five hits.
Heaven Lozano started on the mound for the Lady Raiders. Down 9-1, Andrea Salazar relived her with nobody out in the fourth. Salazar gave up five hits and four runs in two innings of work.
Everything that could go wrong for PSJA North did go wrong. The Hawks even scored runs off of a passed ball and a wild pitch. Another player, Alexa Saucedo, reached first base on a dropped third strike in the fourth inning and eventually scored on a base hit by Christina Arellano (2 for 4, RBI, run scored).
Canales, a Hawks outfielder, said her team will need an all-around effort once again to clinch the series.
“We need to keep our bats going,” the senior said. “No errors. Teamwork and relying on each other to do our part.”