MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
MERCEDES — After getting a couple of quality wins over Mercedes and 3A’s preseason No. 1 Bishop on Friday, the Harlingen South Hawks finished off the 35th Annual Mercedes Knight’s of Columbus round robin tournament with a 4-1 win over the Falfurrias Jerseys on Saturday.
Like Bishop and Mercedes did Friday, Falfurrias made it difficult for the Hawks to mount much offense.
While the Hawks’ bats were quiet on Saturday, recording just four hits, their starting pitcher was solid.
Jake Martinez took the mound for all seven innings and recorded six strikeouts, six shutout innings and allowed just six hits.
He also went 1 for 3 at the plate and drove in the first run of the game with an RBI double.
Despite the wins, South battled through a slate of solid teams.
“We faced a good Mercedes pitcher Friday who was throwing well. It was 0-0 before (Mercedes) dropped the ball in the outfield with two outs,” South head coach Tony Leal said.
“We went on to win that game 4-0. Bishop was up on us 1-0 in the fifth and we went on to score three runs somehow. Today was similar because we didn’t hit the ball well, but it was just at the right time and the right spots.”
South started out strong in the bottom of the first inning as Martinez and Ojani Chacon hit back-to-back RBI doubles to put South on top 2-0.
Falfurrias had trouble getting any kind of offense going as Martinez’s arm and the South defense looked sharp and made plays throughout.
After South took a 4-0 lead following a pair of Jersey errors in the bottom of the fifth, the Jerseys put a pair of runners on after hitting into a 5-4-3 double play in the top of the sixth.
However, the potential rally was thwarted when Martinez struck out Fal’s Abel Guerra.
Martinez did allow one run in the seventh, but also recorded his fifth and sixth strikeouts in the inning.
Overall, Leal feels the K of C tourney was a good way for his Hawks to get some play in before they face a tough Brownsville Veterans team Tuesday night to open District 32-6A play.
“The main thing about this weekend is that we saw pitching and the weather was good. Hopefully that will help us down the line. We’re trying to get a feel of what we can and can’t do and that’s what these things are for,” Leal said.
“The district is very, very tough and filled with tough teams, but our kids are trying and that’s the main thing. Well see if we can hang in there with Veterans on Tuesday, which is a very good, well-coached ballclub.”