FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Ashley Reyna’s two-run home run in the top of the second inning was enough to seal the deal as Harlingen South handed Harlingen a 9-3 loss Friday night at the Lady Cardinals softball field.
With the win, the third seeded Lady Hawks move on to play Edinburg High in the bi-district round of the playoffs next week. Meanwhile, the fourth seeded Lady Cardinals host Edinburg North at home beginning Thursday at 7 p.m. in a three-game series.
“We played a great game and like I told the girls the last three games were against some very good pitching and that’s what we wanted to face going into the playoffs,” said Harlingen South head coach Elias Martinez. “We’re please how we came out hitting and we were able to mix thing up.
“It was a good win against a quality team. Coach Hernandez has done a fantastic job with the girls and they came out ready to play in an entertaining game.”
After Harlingen South’s Krystal Gonzales loaded the bases with a base hit in the top of the first, teammate Alexis Cerda had her first of two RBIs of night, bringing in Kaitlynn De La Fuente to put South on the board first.
Ada Coronado continued the trend with a sacrifice RBI to center field bringing in Leeanne Ledesma for the Lady Hawks’ second run of the evening.
Coronado would go 1 for 2 with a sacrifice and walk, while putting two runs on the board.
After a three-and-out by the Lady Cardinals, South went back to work and scored an additional two run behind a Reyna’s homer to push the lead to 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth Harlingen found some offense behind an RBI from Mikayala Cabriales that scored catcher Emily Garcia to cut the lead 4-1.
After the Lady Hawks’ Gonzales and Coronado scored another two runs in the top fifth, Harlingen responded with two runs of their own from Ennaliza Barrajas and Brianna Garza to keep pace with Harlingen South at 6-3.
Unfortunately for the Lady Cards, that was as close as they would get.
The Lady Hawks would add another three runs in the top of the sixth to extend the lead to 9-3.