Eagle Pass Winn Mavericks Fall to Alamo Heights Mules 9-1 in Area Baseball Championship Playoff
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
The thundering Eagle Pass C. C. Winn High School Mavericks Baseball Team under the helm of Head Coach Heriberto Roiz fell to the Alamo Heights High School Mules 9-1 in a one game Area Championship playoff on Friday, May 14, 2021, at the San Antonio Independent School District Sports Complex Diz Reeves Baseball Field in San Antonio, Texas, finishing their 2021 season with a 21-4 overall season record, a District 28-5A Championship, and a Bi-District Championship.
Fresh from their sweep of the San Antonio Burbank High School Bulldogs in the Bi-District Championship, the Winn Mavericks traveled to the Alamo City to battle the Alamo Heights Mules in the second round of the state playoffs, joined by a large contingency of loyal Maverick Nation baseball aficionados to cheer them on.
The Alamo Heights Mules were the visiting team while the Winn Mavericks were the home team. The Mules started their ace pitcher, Edward Hart, a southpaw, on the mound while the Mavericks called upon senior ace pitcher Jacob Salinas to the pitching circle. The one game playoff game was a pitchers duel for three innings as the teams remained scoreless.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Mules tallied one run on two singles and a sacrifice bunt to take a 1-0 lead. But the Mavericks answered right back with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning as Izek Garza was hit by a pitch to get on base with one out, followed by a single from J.P. Ramos advancing Garza to second base, and Jacob Salinas stroked a single to left field scoring Garza and Ramos was thrown out at home plate, tying the game 1-1 a piece.
During the game, Mavericks skipper Heriberto Roiz made at least two trips to home plate to express his concerns regarding balls and strikes. Loyal Maverick Nation aficionados, too, disapproved of some of the home plate umpire balls and strike calls. In a highly competitive playoff baseball game, momentum can easily swing and/or affect the psychological edge of players.
In the top of the fifth inning with the game tied 1-1, the Mules capitalized on two base on balls and four hits to score six runs to take a 7-1 lead over the Mavericks. The Mavericks went three up and down in the bottom of the fifth inning.
In the sixth inning, the Mavericks summoned sophomore pitcher Robert De La Garza in relief of starting pitcher Jacob Salinas to stymie the Mules potent hitters. The Mules added one run each in the top of the sixth and seventh innings to extend their lead 9-1 while the Mavericks offensive battery were muzzled by Mules southpaw Edward Hart, earning the 9-1 Area Championship.
The Mavericks fought valiantly throughout the whole game and represented the community of Eagle Pass with extraordinary sportsmanship and athleticism during the playoffs and season.
The 2021 Winn Mavericks enjoyed an outstanding season finishing 21-4 overall and garnered the District 28-5A Championship and Bi-District Championship over San Antonio Burbank Bulldogs.
The 2021 Winn Maverick Baseball Team include Jared Aguirre, Jose Anzures, Gabriel Balderas, Abiel Cardona, Oscar Cavazos, Robert De La Garza, Rey Esquivel, Efrain Estrada, Santiago Garcia, Izek Garza, Roly Jimenez, Luis Kancheff, Juan Martinez, Manuel Melchor, J.P. Ramos, Aaron Rodriguez, Jacob Salinas, Jared Salinas, Izzaih Saucedo, Jorge Saucedo, and Alan Vielma.
Mavericks Assistant Coaches during 2021 include Rene Ramirez, Jesus Gomez, Rolando Salinas, and Domingo Lopez.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal congratulates all the Winn Mavericks Baseball Team players, staff, coaches, parents, and aficionados on an outstanding 2021 season.
Roll Mavericks Roll!
