By MARK MOLINA | STAFF WRITER
Of the games that were set to conclude Day 2 of the Brownsville ISD softball tournament, one pitted a pair of the Rio Grande Valley’s top programs in recent years as the Brownsville Veterans Lady Chargers took on the San Benito Lady Greyhounds.
The matchup delivered a close game over five complete innings before the tournament’s 90-minute time limit cut the game short in the top of the sixth inning, officially giving the Lady ’Hounds a 2-1 win over the Lady Chargers.
The go-ahead would come with one on and two out in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI single to left field from designated pitcher Meagan Ybarra that would bring in pitcher Sarah Garcia to make it 2-1.
The score would hold up as the Lady Chargers struggled at the plate, racking up three hits and leaving six runners stranded against Garcia, who also struck out five batters in five complete innings of work.
“I thought the couple of games we had been working to execute (at the plate) and it worked out a lot better for us today, we moved people over, but we weren’t able to get that key hit,” Lady Charger head coach Rayner Cardenas said. “I give a lot of credit to (Garcia), she’s seasoned, extremely well-coached and a great pitcher in her own right — she makes for us to execute.”
Despite picking up the win, San Benito head coach Denise Lira said her team’s execution could have been sharper as her squad only racked up four hits against Brownsville Veterans’ starting pitcher Mia Anzaldua and had three errors on defense.
“I told our girls whether we have defensive errors or not, we still have to hit the ball to win,” Lira said. “We still have to come to the plate with focus, with a plan. We were a little off focus at first, but we started seeing better pitches to hit, to swing at and we just produced runs off of that.”
Brownsville Veterans will end the tournament today against Rio Hondo at 10 a.m., while San Benito will take on Mercedes at noon.
The Lady Greyhounds started quick with an RBI single from Ramos that scored Audrey Huerta with two on and no outs to make it 1-0.
Anzaldua would settle in and pitch three scoreless innings.
“She is carrying a lot of the load for us right now,” Cardenas said. “She’s got more innings than our other pitchers do. Cassie Valdez is coming off a foot injury and is working her way back. So Mia has carried a lot of the load, but she is further a long than she was last year and she’s put in a lot of work in the offseason.
“It’s good to see her execute and be able to pitch out of a jam against well-coached teams like San Benito.”
The Lady Chargers would tie the game up in the bottom of the first on an error on a pickoff attempt at third, allowing shortstop Cassie Valdez to come home and tie the game at 1-1.
Anzaldua had a strong game in the circle as well in a losing effort, giving up four hits and two earned runs, while striking out four batters in five complete innings officially.
She would give up a double to Aaliyah Rangel and an RBI triple to AJ Jasso in the top of the sixth before the game was called at the 90-minute mark.
The Lady Greyhounds score a run on the triple and then another on the next at-bat on an error at first which allowed Jasso to score another.