LYFORD — Harlingen South’s Lexi Sandoval won Game 1 in the circle Friday night and came into Game 2 on Saturday to close out the game and the Class 5A bi-district softball series with McAllen High.
The Hawks won Game 2 8-5 on Saturday at Lyford High School to win the series 2-0 and advance to the area round.
McAllen High’s tying run was at the plate with two runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but Sandoval jammed the batter, allowing her defense to make the easy out and ending the series.
“Overall, the team effort was great,” Harlingen South head coach Jose Rios said. “We had different stars in different moments, different innings and situations — it was great seeing this young team play bigger than they were.”
Sandoval replaced starter Kailee Silva in the top of the fourth with the score 7-4 and the Bulldogs chipping away at the lead after being down 7-1 after two innings. Silva relieved Sandoval in the first game.
“We knew having either one of those two throwers was going to seal the deal for us,” Rios said. “It worked out in our favor, praise God.”
Harlingen South’s Kara Jenson came up with a huge catch for the Hawks with the score 7-5 during the top of the sixth and runners in scoring position. It looked like the ball was going to sail over Jenson’s head, but she adjusted well and then threw out the runner on third that was late back to her bag to end the inning.
“I put a lot of pressure on my shoulders, but I felt good because of the team I have,” Sandoval said. “I knew that we had this game in the bag.”
Harlingen South’s offense exploded during the bottom of the second, scoring six runs. Janessa Rivera brought a runner in with a double, Sandoval drove in two with a double, Haley Vasquez also had an RBI and Natalie Martinez brought in two with a triple.
McAllen High’s Brianna Franco had a sacrifice fly to help start a run in the top of the fourth. Giada Farias smacked a triple off the wall to bring in two runs and scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-5. That was the last of the scoring for District 31-5A’s third seed.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Harlingen South head coach Jose Rios. The Hawks coach was previously the head coach of Lyford before making the move to Harlingen South last season. Friday night’s storm forced the Hawks out of Harlingen for Game 2.
“It is home away from home,” Rios said. “At the end of the day this where I am from, this is my community. I know there was people supporting me, but at the end of day it is Hawks on to Round 2.”
Harlingen South faces Corpus Christi Flour Bluff at a time and place to be determined for the area round.