BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
The La Joya High Coyotes still have a bitter taste in their mouths. Last year, the Coyotes went 22-5 overall — the best winning percentage of the seven teams in District 30-6A — and yet stood a game behind McAllen Memorial and McAllen High in the district standings. The Mustangs and Bulldogs shared the district championship in 2017.
“One of the things the girls wanted to do was improve the number of district wins we’d get this year,” La Joya High coach Carlos Rodriguez said. “We won nine district games last year, and this year, they want to win more than nine.”
The Coyotes (20-8, 8-0) will likely cross into double-digit territory with four district games remaining this year, but the perfection theme doesn’t end there.
Senior pitcher Sabrina Salinas made her best start of the season against Mission High on March 29. Salinas had no trouble going through the Eagles lineup. She faced 21 batters and sat every one of them down. She pitched the seven-inning perfect game and struck out nearly half of the Eagles (10) she faced.
“She has contributed to a perfect game before, but it wasn’t a seven-inning game, as I recall,” Rodriguez said. “For it to be seven innings in an important district game is really outstanding. Our players feed off of that.”
Salinas followed the perfect game by allowing one run on five hits and one walk with 10 strikeouts in a 2-1 win over McHi on Tuesday.