The Mercedes Tigers jumped all over Brownsville Veterans from the opening pitch and pummeled the Chargers 18-0 in three innings.
The Tigers’ bats caught fire from the get-go and the team quickly put crooked numbers up on the scoreboard. Angelique Rangel led the charge offensively with a staggering eight RBIs in just a handful of plate appearances.
“Angelique did an excellent job at setting the tone for the game in the lead-off spot,” Mercedes head coach Kristy Leal said. “Not only did she go 4-for-4 at the plate, she did it switch hitting two times slapping and two from the right side. She is very versatile and an outstanding athlete.”
Lynette Villarreal added three RBIs for Mercedes. Senior Mika Vento also drove home three runs in addition to clobbering a home run over the outfield scoreboard.
Kassidie Rodriguez was electric for the Tigers inside the circle, striking out seven of the nine Charger batters she faced before the run-rule was invoked to end the contest. Rodriguez and Vento combined to throw a five-inning perfect game last week as part of an 18-0 win over Valley View in both teams’ district opener.
“Kassadie has been a force in the circle this season. She commands batters and radiates confidence every time she’s given the ball,” Leal said. “Today she had seven strikeouts in three innings pitched. Kudos to our offense for getting it done and allowing her to relax in the circle.”
EDINBURG VELA 17, EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 0: At Edinburg, the SaberCats rocked the Jaguars for another blowout win.
Vela, the No. 8 ranked 6A team in the state according to the Texas Girls Coaches Association, improved to 2-0 in district play with the marquee victory and 18-3 overall on the season.
In their two district games thus far, the SaberCats have outscored their opponents 34-7 thanks to some excellent work in the circle and offensive production up and down the lineup.
Vela’s victory over Economedes carried extra significance for the SaberCats, as it notched head coach Jon Maples his 100th career win as head softball coach.
“It was a great team victory tonight and a great accomplishment to earn in such a short period of time,” Maples said.
McALLEN ROWE 16, LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 0: At La Joya, the Warriors — perhaps the hottest team throughout the Valley at the moment — out-slugged the Huskies en route to their second big district win of the week.
Destiny Menchaca continued her recent tear at the plate, going 3 for 4 with five RBIs. Ashley Barreiro and Laurynn Garcia combined to hit .600 on the night with a pair of RBIs, while Ziomara Jasso added another 2 RBIs to the cause for Rowe.
But despite the offensive onslaught, the Warriors relied on its pitching staff, specifically Gabriela Garza, to notch this victory. Garza was lights out in the circle, going the distance and throwing a no-hitter in the process with seven strikeouts.
Rowe is officially on a roll now, as the win moves them to 2-0 in district play after earning a huge 24-2 win over McAllen High earlier in the week. The Warriors have won eight consecutive games and outscored their opponents 90-9 in their last seven contests.
“The girls are playing great softball and firing on all cylinders. Offensively, the run production has been great and that’s a testament to the work that they’ve been putting in at practice from Day One,” McAllen Rowe head coach Aissa Hinojosa said. “We need to build off of these wins and continue to grow and get better.”
In the other sensational pitching performance of the evening, Brownsville Hanna’s Camila Magaldi struckout 23 batters in a narrow 3-2 win over Brownsville Rivera in 12 innings. Magaldi’s 23 strikeouts are the most by any Valley baseball or softball pitcher so far this season.
PSJA MEMORIAL 22, PSJA SOUTHWEST 3: At Pharr, the Wolverines pounced on the Javelinas early thanks to a sensational night at the plate and secured the lopsided victory in five innings.
PSJA Memorial clubbed 24 base hits, nine for extra bases, in 33 at-bats and drew 11 walks as a group at the plate.
The heart of the Wolverines’ lineup was extra dangerous in the batters’ box, as Brisa Herrera, Chelsea Salinas and Victoria Gonzalez combined to hit .769 against PSJA Southwest. Herrera slapped a pair of doubles, scored three runs and knocked in another four baserunners.
Gonzalez went 4 for 5 at the dish with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs, while Salinas collected four RBIs and scored five times on a double, triple, homerun and a pair of walks. Cassandra Cepeda, the Wolverines’ No. 5 hitter, also added three RBIs on a double and homerun.
PSJA Memorial’s Jasmine Martinez shined inside the circle, striking out five Javelinas en route to the victory, which improved the team’s record to 2-0 in district play.