KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star
SAN BENITO — In a pivotal District 32-6A meeting, the San Benito Lady Greyhounds took care of business against Weslaco High.
The Lady Hounds got a grand slam from Audrey Huerta and a two-run moon shot from Meagan Ybarra that fueled an important 7-4 win Fri-day night.
The Lady Hounds have rebounded in a nice way after losing to Harlingen South last week. On Tuesday they picked up a win against Brownsville Hanna and, after Friday, are now 5-1 in league play – one game back of South.
Meanwhile, the Lady Panthers have dropped two straight and are 4-2 in district play. They wrap up the first round of league play on Tuesday at home against Los Fresnos.
“It was good for us to turn it around this week,” San Benito coach Denise Lira said. “We know one loss does not define our season, but we talk about how competitive this district is and we approach it one game at a time. These two wins this week were big for the kids and their moral, and to get back into the swing of things.”
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, San Benito’s offense came out hot. Deztiny Hernandez began the rally with a one-out double which was followed by four straight hits. The big hit came on a grand slam by Huerta to give San Benito a 5-1 lead.
“Coach Lira wanted to us to work the count at the plate,” Huerta said. “I just saw the ball slow down and I knew I had to swing; I knew it was gone when I hit the bat. In the outfield tonight we played very well and made plays; we needed to back up our pitcher and that’s what we did.”
The early run support aided starting pitcher Eliana Carrizales, who threw a complete game while giving up four runs.
“Our backs where against the wall and our defense backed her (Eliana) up,” Lira said of her pitcher. “The focus was there and she did an amazing job for us in the circle.”
Despite Weslaco falling in a hole early, the Lady Panthers rallied in both the third and sixth innings. But Ybarra’s two-run dinger in the fifth was the insurance runs the Lady Hounds needed as they extended their lead to 7-2.
Carrizales managed to wiggle out of both bases-loaded spots she found herself in to keep Weslaco at bay. In the third inning, Weslaco tacked on one run and cut the lead to 5-2. It was the sixth inning, however, where Weslaco made it interesting after a run and a solo home run by Amberly Barrera that cut into the lead at 7-4. But Carrizales got a strikeout to end the threat.
“This was a big week for us; we bounced back well as a team,” Ybarra said. “It was important for us to come back strong after the Harlingen South game. This week we worked hard and prepared for tonight and it showed. We brought the intensity tonight and it’s important for us to play with that intensity all game long.”