Eagle Pass Eagles Sweep La Joya Coyotes to Clinch Regional Quarterfinals Baseball Championship, Win Game 2 by Score of 5-2
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
The high-flying Eagle Pass High School Eagles swept the resilient District 31-6A Champion La Joya High School Coyotes in their best of three series in Game 2 by a score of 5-2 on Saturday, May 22, 2021, at Laredo Veterans Baseball Stadium in Laredo, Texas, clinching the right to advance to the Region IV, 6A Regional Semi-Finals Championship next week against the winner of San Antonio High School Reagan Rattlers and Smithson Valley High School Rangers.
Eagles relief pitcher Donovan Becerra tossed two innings in relief of starter Edward Mendoza, who earned the win hurling five innings, to save the victory in Game 2 as he picked-off the La Joya Coyote Base Runner at first with bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to sweep the Coyotes 2-0 in the best of three series.
The Eagles tallied four runs in the first inning against La Joya Coyotes starting pitcher Angel Solis to take a commanding 4-0 lead as Aidan Lopez lead off with a single, Jacob Ruiz received a base on balls, Edward Mendoza laid down an infield bunt single to load the bases, CJ Jimenez belted a two RBI single to center field with bases loaded, Jarod Romero struck out attempting to bunt, Derek Ruiz got a base on balls, Mike Perry struck out, and with two outs Issac Stanwick slapped a two RBI single to left field to extend the scoring 4-0 while Mathew Elizondo struck out to end the first inning.
La Joya Coyotes plated two runs in the bottom of the second inning to narrow the score 4-2 and both teams battled for the next four innings with the same score until the Eagles added another run in the top of the seventh inning as CJ Jimenez lead off with a hit by a pitch on the head to get on first base, Ramon Salinas entered as a courtesy runner for Jimenez and stole second base, Jarod Romero struck out swinging, Derek Ruiz slammed an RBI single to center field to score Salinas, and the next two Eagles batters struck out swinging to extend the score 5-2.
In the bottom of the seventh inning with the Eagles leading 5-2, La Joya Coyotes threatened to score as the first batter grounded out, JC Gutierrez received a base on balls, Hugo Cantu filed out to first base, JR Ramos got on base on an Eagles error on a fly ball, Alex Guajardo singled to left field to load the bases with two outs and lead off hitter Alan Delgado at the plate with the chance to tie the game, but Eagles pitcher Donovan Becerra and first baseman Aidan Lopez picked-off the Coyotes first base runner for the third out to end the game, 5-2.
The Eagles defeated the Coyotes 1-0 in Game 1 on Friday, May 21, 2021, in extra innings in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs as Eagles shortstop Jacob Kobe Ruiz doubled to center field, stole third base, and stole home plate with Edward Mendoza batting for the Eagles to snatch the victory from the jaws of the La Joya Coyotes to earn the key victory in the best of three series.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal congratulates the Eagle Pass Eagles Baseball Team players, coaches, staff, parents, and aficionados on winning the Regional Quarterfinals Championship against the La Joya Coyotes and wishes them all the best in the Regional Semi-Finals Championship.
Go Eagles Baby!
