SAN JUAN — Just moments after taking their first lead of the contest Thursday, the PSJA High Bears had their Game 1 regional quarterfinal contest against Laredo United postponed until Friday due to lightning in the area.
The near-24-hour delay couldn’t slow the Bears’ momentum, as they picked up right where they left off when play resumed Friday with an 8-4 win over the Longhorns in Game 1.
PSJA High continued to dominate just 30 minutes later, roaring past the Longhorns 9-1 in Game 2 to complete the sweep during their best-of-three Region IV-6A quarterfinal at C.V. Cain Baseball Stadium in San Juan.
The victory pushes the Bears into the fourth round for the first time since 2004. They’ll take on the winner between Lake Travis and San Antonio Johnson at a date, time and location to be determined.
“It is an amazing feeling to be here again,” PSJA High head coach Marco Guajardo said. “We’ve been through ups and downs all year long. Goals were set from the beginning. We put it all together, and the guys are finally realizing the sky is the limit.”
The Bears trailed the Longhorns 3-2 heading into the seventh during Game 1 of the series Thursday. A two-run single by Austin Flores gave PSJA High a 4-3 lead on the road before lightning postponed the contest into Friday at C.V. Cain Baseball Stadium in San Juan.
PSJA High picked right up where it left off Friday, with Nyles Alvarez delivering a line drive to center field, bringing in a pair of runs to make it 6-4. The Bears added to the lead on RBIs by Jai Arenas and Julius Ramirez to secure the 8-4 win in Game 1.
After a 30-minute break, the Bears and Longhorns took the field again, with PSJA High’s bats remaining just as hot.
Ramirez set the tone for the second game, driving home a solo homer during his first at-bat to give the Bears a 1-0 advantage. Diego Gomez added to the lead with an RBI, making it 2-0 after one.
The runs continued to pour in, taking a 9-0 lead after five innings, led by Andy Gamboa’s two RBIs.
“The lightning delay was tough,” Guajardo said. “We were down and right when we got momentum, I saw the trainers holding on, trying to see if we could end the game. I just told the guys we had to continue this today. Our bats came alive big-time. We started hitting the ball. Our big guys were hitting deep. The guys came out ready. They were focused.”
Defensively, the Bears buckled down after allowing four runs during Game 1, allowing just three hits and one run during Game 2.
Junior pitcher Vinny Cano got the start on the mound, getting the win with six strikeouts and just three hits allowed in seven innings pitched, including one strikeout during the final inning to help secure the 9-1 win and the sweep.
“Preparation was the key today,” Cano said. “My pitching coach, he did 50% of the job. I just came out here and did the other 50. He told me what to do, and I just executed. Then when you have guys like Andy (Gamboa), Jaime (Lopez) and Diego (Gomez) making plays back there, it is hard to lose when your defense performs like that. It feels amazing right now. This group of guys, we’ve all come together. It is a great feeling knowing we have each other’s backs.”