BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — The first five innings of Friday’s Weslaco High-Weslaco East game went just about the way it usually does when Weslaco’s two public high schools get together. It was a pressure-packed, low-scoring affair.
Back in November, the Weslaco High football team rallied late in the fourth quarter to snatch victory away from Weslaco East in the Tinaco Bowl.
On the diamond, with the game tied at three entering the sixth inning, the Panthers similarly took a firmer grip thanks to a six-run frame that put the Wildcats away for good. The Panthers won 10-3 over the Wildcats Friday night on Weslaco East’s home field.
“It’s a big game for the both of us, but the odds are always stacked against us because we’re supposed to play well at all times,” Weslaco High coach Mario Rodriguez said. “Weslaco East came out tonight and made us work for what we needed to get on the field. We’re fortunate enough to have two teams in the city that are pretty good. There’s a lot of talent in Weslaco.”
Weslaco East jumped out to a 2-0 lead when a Weslaco High error led to two runs crossing the plate. The Wildcats trailed the Panthers 3-2 through three and a half innings, but Weslaco East third baseman Rionna Garcia evened the score with an RBI sacrifice fly.
The Panthers began the sixth with a base hit by first baseman Lynn Garcia, but she advanced to third base on a fielding error in the outfield. The next batter for Weslaco High (16-10, 4-1) was left fielder Jordan Diaz, who came through with an RBI triple to put the Panthers ahead for good.
Diaz is a sophomore who was on the varsity roster as a freshman in 2018. She went 3 for 4, including her run-scoring triple, while scoring twice.
“This game means everything,” Diaz said. “We’ve always been in competition. We go back-and-forth in almost every sport. It’s always great to get a win.”
The loss pushes Weslaco East two games back in the District 31-6A standings (13-13, 2-3).
“We prepared for slapping hits, for power hits, and I think we took care of them there,” Weslaco East coach Victoria Vasquez said. “We shut down their bigger hitters, defensively. (Starting pitcher) Clarissa (Martinez) did a great job for us on the mound with that, but our corners have to work on that small ball defense a little better. It’s something we’ll definitely go back and practice.”
After Weslaco High went ahead 4-3, designated player Jules Garcia reached on an error by East third baseman Rionna Garcia. The error allowed Diaz to score.
“Today was about coming in and taking what they were giving us,” Rodriguez said. “If they were going to give us a chance to play some small ball, then we were going to take it. That’s something we work on in practice and, thankfully, we get to use it in games.”
There was a scary moment for the Panthers in the seventh inning. Catcher Audrey Escamilla, a former Monitor All-Area Offensive Player of the Year, drove in their 10th run of the game on a single, but she wanted to stretch it into a double.
While Escamilla headed toward second base, she fell down at an angle, suffering a hamstring injury, and was tagged out to end the inning.
Escamilla was replaced by Jules Garcia for the remainder of the game.
“She’ll be evaluated by our trainers when we get back,” Rodriguez said. “We’ll take it one day at a time with her.”
Weslaco High will host Edinburg North at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Weslaco. The Panthers and Cougars (17-6, 4-1) are tied for second in District 31-6A.