By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer
The Port Isabel Lady Tarpons are hitting their stride at the right time.
After dropping their opening game of the District 32-4A season to Rio Hondo on March 6, the Lady Tarpons (15-3, 9-1 in district) have won eight consecutive games.
Port Isabel is led by first baseman Kelcie Swink, who is batting .514, and senior pitcher Victoria Cantu, whose 0.49 ERA accompanies a .412 average at the plate.
The team boasts a .330 batting average and Port Isabel coach Jesus Garza wants his team to maintain a high energy level as the season winds down.
“I’ve been talking to them and what I want to see is for them to have fun,” he said. “I want them to dance and sing and cheer and make every day count, not lose a single day or a single game due to the fact that they have other things going on. I want them to be focused and dedicated to this team.”
P.I. recently avenged its loss to Rio Hondo and are now in sole possession of first place with four games remaining in the season, including a game against Grulla that was played Monday.
“Right now it seems like we’re still going up, we haven’t peaked yet,” Garza said. “Last year, we peaked early and had a bit of a downfall, but this year it seems like we keep rising, and we keep doing better.”
SCRAMBLE FOR THE PLAYOFFS
The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers took a big step toward earning themselves a playoff berth with a win over the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles on Friday.
“This (win was) huge,” Brownsville Veterans coach Ray Cardenas said after the win. “We’re fighting for playoff positions here, and the fact that we beat them twice gives us the tiebreaker if it’s just us two. But the fact that we put ourselves in a position to now control our own destiny helps us as far as positioning. We know what we need to do, and that’s win one more game.”
The victory marked a sweep of the two-game season series by Brownsville Veterans (5-5 in District 32-6A), which could prove critical come playoff time. Should the teams share the same record at the end of the season, the 2-0 series lead grants the Lady Chargers the tiebreaker over Hanna (4-6 in district).
“We’ve got to win out,” Hanna coach Rey Lerma said after the loss Friday. “We’re just going to have to play much more solid softball to finish out.”
Brownsville Veterans’ remaining opponents include San Benito, Harlingen High, Los Fresnos and Lopez.
Hanna’s final four games will be against Lopez, Harlingen South, Rivera and Los Fresnos.
TOP DOGS
With a win over Los Fresnos on April 7, the San Benito Lady Greyhounds won their second of two district games against the Lady Falcons. The win against their next closest competitor in District 32-6A puts them in prime position to finish the district season undefeated.
“We’re a very young team,” San Benito coach Elias Martinez said. “We’ve got some great seniors, but we’ve got a handful of freshmen and sophomores so I’d like to see us keep evolving and getting better.”
Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.