MARK MOLINA | The Brownsville Herald
WESLACO — While the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers came out flat in a pivotal Game 3 situation, the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks seized momentum early and never let it go.
The Diamondbacks posted a trio of three-run innings and starting pitcher Evan Maldonado tossed a gem as they bounced the Chargers 10-0 to win their best-of-three bi-district series 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Weslaco High School.
Once the Diamondbacks get on top early with three runs in the top of the first inning, Maldonado was put at ease and proceeded to go the distance in a shutout victory in which he allowed just four hits with nine strikeouts and a walk.
“ I know my team has got my back and I have a lot of confidence in us,” he said. “I knew we were going to win this game because we’re able to deal with adversity. We won the first game and lost (Friday), but I knew we’d come back and win this.
“ I was just trying to throw strikes and that’s all I was trying to do; I wasn’t going to let anybody hit me.”
For the Chargers, it was a game of miscues in addition to falling flat at the plate as they committed four errors and gave up five runs on passed balls.
“ We didn’t get clutch hitting and situational hitting wasn’t there…it was an off day overall,” Brownsville Veterans head coach Albert Rodriguez said. “Defensively, we made a lot of errors and that’s not us. When you make a lot of errors, you’re not going to be in the game very long…I’m speechless on how we came out and performed.”
The Chargers end the season on a disappointing note after capturing an undefeated District 32-5A title, while the Diamondbacks advance to the area round to face either Harlandale or Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial.
Pioneer’s Jacob Rosales came to the plate with two on and nobody out in the top of the first and hit into a would-be force out, but a bad throw to second allowed Kike Valdivia to make it 1-0.
After a passed ball brought in another runner, Pedro Tovias hit and RBI single to bring in Octavio Morales and make it 3-0.
“ It’s always important to jump out early and take some of the pressure off,” said Pioneer head coach Casey Smith, who picked up his 200th career win Saturday. “(Brownsville Veterans) did that to us (Friday) and they played with a lot of confidence. We kind of turned the tables on them today.
“ We talked about one thing and that’s playing hard and keeping thee hammer down. After that, you let the chips fall where they may.”
After Pioneer brought in another run on a passed ball fourth to make it 4-0 and a third walk, Chargers starting pitcher Cristian Holloway was pulled in favor of Rafel Parra after 3 2/3 innings.
Holloway gave up three hits and four runs, but only one earned run and four strikeouts before being pulled.
The pitching change would be the first of three on the day for the Chargers.
After another passed ball allowed a run to cross the plate to make it 5-0 in the top of the sixth, Rosales fired a shot to right-center field for an inside-the-park homerun.
Two runs scored on the hit and the Diamondbacks took a 7-0 lead that led to another pitching change.
The Diamondbacks added three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. As a team, Pioneer recorded seven hits from seven different players.
The Chargers couldn’t muster a run despite having a runner in scoring position in the bottom half of the seventh.
Rodriguez chalked up the lack of execution to his team’s inexperience, but felt there was a lesson to be learned from this weekend’s series.
“ We’re a young team,” he said. “We had one senior starting, but it was expected for these guys to step up, but we wanted them to not make those errors. It’s a lesson learned for these kids with the playoff atmosphere and the pressure. We’re only going to go up from here.”