BROWNSVILLE — Mercedes came into the top of the seventh inning down 7-5 to Brownsville Lopez in a pivotal District 32-5A meeting Tuesday night at Brownsville Lopez High School.
The Tigers rallied to pick up the 8-7 win and now are alone atop the District 32-5A standings. A Tigers loss would have created a tie at the top, but Lopez would have had the tiebreaker.
“This district is tough,” Mercedes head coach Kristy Leal said. “And these kids continue to fight. It does not matter if they are down or up, they are constantly fighting. I think tonight really proved they are a great team.”
Mercedes’ Klarissa Rizo, Rhianna Sierra and Zelinda Camacho each smacked RBI doubles to put the Tigers up in the seventh. Seeing the other girls hit the ball put Camacho at ease before she drove in the game-winning run, she said.
“I looked for a pitch that I can handle and went with it,” Camacho said. “Just knowing that my girls had my back, I was good.”
Camacho started the game in the circle but was replaced by Rizo in the bottom of the fifth.
Back-to-back RBI doubles by Jenny Shank and Arianna Lezama gave the Lobos a 7-5 lead in the sixth. Lezama hit two doubles on the night.
Rizo settled down after the sixth to retire the side in the seventh and pick up the win.
“All I had to do was keep my confidence up,” Rizo said. “No matter what, I knew the big man upstairs was with me and each and everyone of us as well.”
Mercedes’ Adamari Perales tied the game at 5 in the fifth. Brownsville Lopez’s bottom half of the lineup helped give them the lead in the third.
The Lobos’ five-run third was an answer to the Tigers’ four-run first.
The Tigers (20-5, 12-1) are now up two games in District 32-5A with five games remaining.
“It was a big win, especially because Lopez took one from us in the first round,” Leal said. “The kids really wanted to come in and take it from them in the second round.”
The Tigers are at home against Donna High at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, and Brownsville Lopez is in action against Brownsville Pace at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Pace if the rain permits the games to happen.