BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela lost its first district game of the season a week ago against city rival Edinburg North.
It was a high-scoring, close defeat that knocked the SaberCats down from the No. 1 ranking in the latest RGVSports.com top 10 poll out this week.
“I don’t think the loss affected us,” Edinburg Vela first baseman/designated player Deandra Longoria said. “It brought us closer together and made us stronger as a team.”
Edinburg Vela, which entered Friday as the No. 2 team in the Valley, ran past Edinburg Economedes on Tuesday and blanked Weslaco High 7-0 on Friday night. The SaberCats (24-4, 8-1) maintained the top spot in District 31-6A, while the Panthers dropped to third place behind Edinburg North.
“We’ve been focused since Wednesday,” Edinburg Vela coach Jon Maples said. “As soon as the Econ(omedes) game was over, we were locked in getting ready for Weslaco (High). The girls knew that we needed to improve our defense. Defense is what will control everything.”
The defense behind Edinburg Vela starter Brianna Salinas was outstanding. Among the SaberCats’ sparkling plays came when Weslaco High’s Jordan Diaz bounced into a 6-4-3 double play after Salinas allowed her first hit of the game in the fourth inning.
Edinburg Vela catcher Darissa Buenrostro pulled off another when she picked off Helen Gonzalez at first base during the sixth inning.
Longoria had a big night at the plate. With Vela already up 1-0 in the second, Longoria brought another run home with a sacrifice fly. During the fifth inning, Longoria stepped in to the batter’s box with the bases loaded and doubled in two more runs to make it 4-0.
She later scored the SaberCats’ fifth run on a wild pitch later in the frame.
“I based off what I was going to do tonight from the last game we played them,” Longoria said. “I looked over videos of me batting and fixed a few things. Luckily, I got a hold of some pitches tonight.”
Weslaco High committed two errors in the middle of Vela’s five-run fifth inning.
“It has to do with the youth that we have on our team,” Weslaco High coach Mario Rodriguez said. “We have two freshmen, five sophomores and three seniors starting. Our youth got us today. They (Edinburg Vela) are the most experienced team in our district. We couldn’t keep up with what they were doing to us.”
Rodriguez was once again without one of his workhorses in catcher Audrey Escamilla. Escamilla, a senior, injured a hamstring rounding first base during a game against Weslaco East on March 22. She hasn’t returned to the field since.
“She’s still in rehab, getting treatment,” Rodriguez said. “She hasn’t practiced or played. We don’t know when she’s expected to come back. We’re looking at it day-to-day. This has also given other girls the opportunity to step up and play. They’ve been doing a good job. Every time we had something going, they closed the door on us.”