BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — In a late season District 31-5A clash, Rio Grande City relied on its talented freshmen to get the win.
Freshman Mike Ramos threw a complete-game gem to freshman catcher Emmanuel Garza, who was 3 for 4 in the game. Emmanuel’s twin brother, Eddie Garza, drove in the winning run as the Rattlers (18-8-1, 9-4) beat the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks (19-8-1, 7-5) 4-2 on Friday.
“This win is humungous,” Rio Grande City Roque Cortinas said. “It’s huge, because Cigarroa lost, so that means we move up. Right now, we are not thinking about a district title race. We are just trying to make sure we have a cushion from the fourth and fifth teams. This win is huge going into the end of the season.”
Rio Grande City sits in second place, but only two games separate the top four teams.
Ramos went all seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out five and allowed only four base runners.
“He’s a freshman, but he doesn’t act like it,” Cortinas said. “He wants the ball all the time. Every inning he tells me, ‘Coach, I am good.’ He doesn’t even want to talk about pulling him out. Very composed on the mound. And it’s his third start and third win.”
Ramos’ only real struggles came in the first. He walked the second hitter he faced. The third hitter, his counterpart on the mound, junior Jacob Rosales, blasted a two-run home run to put the Diamondbacks up 2-0.
After that half inning, Ramos hit another gear and looked unhittable for the next six frames.
“I knew I had to come through for my team. I had to play my part,” Ramos said. “I knew I had to do what I always do: hit my corners and don’t make any mistakes, because when I made a mistake, it ended up over the fence.”
Eddie Garza said Ramos’ start gave him the confidence to drive in the winning run in the top of the sixth.
Senior Jeremy Gorena knocked a double to set up Eddie Garza, who tattooed a ball right at the shortstop.
“I hit it really hard, but I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” he said.
The ball went past the shortstop and zipped all the way to the wall.
“I just ran hard,” he said.
He never stopped out of the box and had plenty of time to pull into third and set up an insurance run.
With a 1-2 count, freshman Mark Perez roped a double to the wall that drove in Eddie Garza for the Rattlers’ fourth run of the game.
“It was a great moment,” Eddie Garza said. “It felt good to help Mikey out, since he did such a great job on the mound.”
The Garza twins, Ramos and Perez all began playing baseball when they were 4. They played together all the way through Pony League and junior high. Now on varsity together, the comfort of playing with each other has outweighed the anxiety of their debut season.
“We are very confident right now — more confident than ever,” Ramos said. “Every game makes us better and more prepared for the playoffs.”
Eddie Garza finished the game 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs. He almost didn’t get the chance for heroics. In the top of the fourth, he was running to first trying to leg out an infield single. He beat the throw but took an awkward tumble. Cortinas said that he “twisted his ankle,” but even that couldn’t keep the twin — affectionately known to Rattlers faithful as “Cuate” — from getting back in the batter’s box when his spot was up.
“He sat down for an inning or two, but he said he was good,” Cortinas said. “He was 2 for 2 at the time, so we were glad to have his bat back in the lineup. He’s a tough kid. He’s tough as nails. And he’s not going to sit out.”
For Pioneer, Rosales added to his home run with a quality outing on the mound. He went six innings, striking out seven and walking only one. Rosales came out for the top of the seventh, but he suffered an apparent leg injury and was unable to start the inning. Sophomore Evan Maldonado pitched a quick seventh, striking out the side.
Eddie Garza drove in senior Jesus Cantu to score the Rattlers’ first run in the second.
Emmanuel Garza scored the Rattlers’ other run in the top of the fifth. He led off with a double and came home on a throwing error. Emmanuel Garza’s 3 for 4 night extended his lead in the district batting title race. He entered Friday’s contest hitting .553
The youthful Rattlers seem poised to make a playoff run.
“We have played baseball all our lives,” Eddie Garza said. “We have been playing since we were small. It’s still the same game. … We are trying to stay humble and focus on helping the team.”
This story has been edited to reflect that Emmanuel Garza led the district in batting average.