BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — Five teams in the newly-configured District 31-6A were playoff teams in 2018. Edinburg Vela, Edinburg High and Edinburg North qualified for the postseason from 31-6A while Weslaco High and Weslaco East did so from District 32-6A.
With five playoff-caliber teams and four spots available in the new 31-6A, a race to the finish line for two of those five clubs felt like an inevitability. On Monday night, a winner was declared.
Edinburg High brought out their big bats late, scoring 12 runs in the last four innings, to down Weslaco East 14-5 in a winner-take-all matchup for the last playoff spot in District 31-6A. The Bobcats will advance to take San Benito in the bi-district round later this week.
“We just let everything hang out tonight,” Edinburg High coach Ramon Arciba said. “The girls came out here ready to play. They didn’t want to end their season tonight. Our program has been used to making the playoffs for so many years that we’ve lost track, even before I became the coach. And I didn’t want the season to end for our seniors tonight, either. They were focused.”
The Bobcats were off and running in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Secilia Lopez singled, stole a base and later scored on an RBI double from Valerie De Leon. Kristee Salas brought De Leon home on a sacrifice fly to put Edinburg High (8-15, 6-7) ahead 2-0.
The one-two punch of Lopez and De Leon was unstoppable all night for EHS. De Leon later capped her night with a two-run, inside-the-park home run during the seventh inning.
Lopez went 5 for 5 at the plate, scoring three times and driving in two runs with a single during the seventh.
“I pulled Seci(lia) aside during our batting practice and I looked her in the eyes and told her that I needed her to play her best game of the season,” Arciba said. “I’ve known her for years, so I know she’s capable of it. Lo and behold, she gave us her best game tonight. You can’t ask for anything better than 5 for 5.”
“My best games have been me going 3 for 4, but never 5 for 5,” Lopez added. “To do that in the biggest game of the season felt great. I pulled through for my team when I needed to.”
Lopez also hurled 5 1/3 innings in the circle, allowing five runs on nine hits. She walked four and struck out two Wildcats (16-18, 5-8).
“She (Lopez) hit everything that we threw at her,” Weslaco East coach Victoria Vasquez said. “We threw it outside and she hit it up the middle. We threw it inside and she hit it up the middle. We threw a changeup and she got a hold of it. She was on fire tonight.”
The Bobcats will tangle with the Greyhounds (22-10) in a one-game playoff at 7 p.m. Friday on the Edinburg High campus.
“San Benito has solid pitching with two solid pitchers,” Arciba said. “We have to hit the ball. Hopefully, we can adjust to the pitchers and where they throw to us. We have to play pretty much a perfect game defensively in order to stay in the game.”