Lady Eagles lasso Brownsville Porter Cowgirls 8-2 to sweep Area Championship
By: Ricardo E. Calderon
Live from the San Antonio ISD Coach Mary Ann Villarreal Softball Complex
The Eagle Pass High School Lady Eagles lassoed the perennially potent Brownsville Porter High School Cowgirls 8 to 2 in game two of their best of three Area Softball Championship series on Saturday, May 4, 2013, at the San Antonio Independent School District Coach Mary Ann Villarreal Softball Complex in San Antonio, Texas, sweeping the Cowgirls in two consecutive games to clinch the University Interscholastic League (U.I.L.) Region IV-5A Area Championship.
On a sunny and blue skies afternoon in the Alamo City, the visiting Eagle Pass Lady Eagles took care of business dominating the Brownsville Porter Cowgirls on offense and defense enroute to winning the Area Softball Championship and earning the right to face the legendary San Benito High School Lady Greyhounds in the third round of the Regional Quarter-Finals.
Lady Eagle standout sophomore lefty pitcher Krystal De La Cruz hurled five and two-third innings and standout senior reserve pitcher Samantha De Leon pitched one and one-third innings in relief to lasso the potent Brownsville Porter Cowgirls’ batters, allowing only six hits, one walk, five strikeouts, four hit by pitch, and two runs. De La Cruz earns the Lady Eagles victory while De Leon earns the save.
Brownsville Porter Cowgirl standout pitcher Sabrina Garcia hurled seven innings in taking the loss allowing the Lady Eagles seven hits, three walks, three strikeouts, no hit batsman, and eight runs.
Designated the visiting team, the Lady Eagles started slow in the top of the first inning as both standout Lady Eagles Sandra Mendoza and Monica Flores, who combined were 7 for 8 in game one, flied out and grounded out attempting to bunt the ball, standout and honor student second baseman Jessica Garcia slammed a double to left center field but designated hitter Dariela Velasquez flied out to the pitcher to end the scoring threat.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Cowgirls scored one run to take a 1 to 0 lead but a Lady Eagle double play stifled the powerful Cowgirls’ batters from scoring more runs. Cowgirl leadoff hitter Genesis Romero slapped a triple to center field past the outstretched hands of Lady Eagle center fielder Monica Flores who was playing shallow defense against slappers, Erika Sanchez received a walk but was thrown out at second base attempting to steal by standout Lady Eagle catcher Claudia Cruz, pitcher Sabrina Garcia belted a single to center field to score Romero, and cleanup hitter Marisela Gaytan hit into a double play ground ball to Lady Eagle shortstop Sandra Mendoza who flipped the ball to second baseman Jessica Garcia for the first out and Garcia threw a strike to first baseman Melanie Mendoza to complete the double play and shut down the Cowgirls. The Lady Eagles defense rose to the occasion stopping the Cowgirls from scoring more runs.
The Lady Eagles exploded for four runs in the top of the second inning to take a commanding 4 to 1 lead as Keanna Cisneros got on base on a walk and promptly stole second base and advanced to third base on a bad throw to second base, pitcher Krystal De La Cruz drew a walk too and Sairah Gonzalez entered to pinch run for her and stole second base, Samantha De Leon grounded to shortstop but got on base on a Cowgirl first baseman error scoring Cisneros to tie the game, Claudia Cruz grounded out for the first out, Krystal Perez struck out for the second out, and Sandra Mendoza slammed a rocketing line drive for a triple into the left field fence corner scoring Gonzalez and De Leon and herself on a throwing error to give the Lady Eagles an insurmountable 4 to 1 lead, and Monica Flores flied out to end the Lady Eagles scoring. Lady Eagle standout shortstop Sandra Mendoza sparked the Lady Eagles with her electric offensive play and leadership.
In the bottom of the second inning, Lady Eagle pitcher Krystal De La Cruz rebounded with striking out the next three Cowgirl batters looking with her nasty inside curve ball.
The Lady Eagles failed to score and record a hit in the top of the third inning as they went three up and three down. Lady Eagle pitcher Krystal De La Cruz got the Cowgirls to go three up and three down in the bottom of the third inning.
The Lady Eagles added a key run in the top of the fourth inning to take a 5 to 1 lead as Lady Eagle catcher Claudia Cruz belted a triple to the center field fence with two outs, left fielder Krystal Perez bunted and got on base on a Cowgirl pitcher throwing error to first base scoring Cruz and Perez advanced to second base on the error, and Sandra Mendoza flied out to right field to end the inning.
Lady Eagle pitcher Krystal De La Cruz continued her domination of Cowgirl batters striking out two batters with her inside curve ball, another Cowgirl batter was hit by a pitch, and the fourth batter grounded out in the bottom of the fourth inning.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Lady Eagles tallied two runs to take a 7 to 1 lead as Lady Eagle Monica Flores belted a double to the left center field fence after hitting two foul ball home runs and advanced to third base on a passed ball, Jessica Garcia delivered a timely RBI single to right field scoring Flores and stole second base, Melanie Mendoza grounded out advancing Garcia to third base, Keanna Cisneros hit an RBI fly ball to left field scoring Garcia on a tag up, Amanda Appleton got on base on a Cowgirl error, and Samantha De Leon grounded out to end the inning.
Lady Eagle pitcher Krystal De La Cruz got help from the Lady Eagle defense in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Lady Eagles turned their second double play of the game and another Cowgirl batter grounded out to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Lady Eagles failed to score as they went three up and three down protecting a 7 to 1 lead.
The Cowgirls scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning to narrow the score 7 to 2 as Lady Eagle pitcher Krystal De La Cruz hit the first two batters, the Lady Eagles came to the rescue turning their third double play to record two outs with a runner advancing to third base, cleanup hitter Marisela Gaytan belted an RBI single to center field scoring Genesis Romero, Kim Sanchez singled to right field advancing Gaytan to second base, Lady Eagle head coach Oscar Ruiz decided to relieve De La Cruz and called upon reserve pitcher Samantha De Leon with two outs, and De Leon got the next Cowgirl to fly out to her for the third out and shut down the Cowgirls from rallying for more runs.
The Lady Eagles scored one more run in their last at bat in the top of the seventh inning to take an 8 to 2 lead as Lady Eagle second baseman Jessica Garcia got on base on a walk with one out, Melanie Mendoza stroked a single to center field advancing Garcia to second base, Keanna Cisneros slammed an RBI single to center field scoring Garcia and Cisneros was thrown out at second base in a rundown, and Krystal De La Cruz flied out to end the inning.
Lady Eagle pitcher Samantha De Leon successfully kept the Cowgirls from not scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning to preserve the Lady Eagles 8 to 2 victory and earning the save. The Lady Eagles clinched the Area Championship sweeping the potent Brownsville Porter Cowgirls.
Leading the Lady Eagles offensively were Jessica Garcia who batted 2 for 3 with one double and one single, scored two runs, one RBI, and stole one base, Sandra Mendoza went 1 for 4 with a triple, 2 RBIs, and scored one run, Monica Flores was 1 for 4 with a double, one RBI, and scored one run, Melanie Mendoza batted 1for 2 with one single, Keanna Cisneros went 1 for 3 with one single, two RBIs, scored one run, and stole one base, and Claudia Cruz was 1 for 3 with one triple and scored one run.
The Lady Eagles will now face the legendary San Benito High School Lady Greyhounds in the Regional Quarter-Finals of the U.I.L. Region IV-5A softball playoffs this coming week at a date, time, and place to be determined. The Lady Eagles improve to 28-6 overall in the season.
The Lady Eagles are under the direction of head softball coach Oscar Ruiz and assistant coaches Ricky Ruiz, J.J. Iracheta, Saul Salinas, and Carlos Rodriguez.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal and staff congratulate the Lady Eagles on their Area Softball Championship and wishes them the very best of luck in the Regional Quarter-Finals. Beat the San Benito Lady Greyhounds!
