By BRIAN ARGABRIGHT
The 830 Times
Del Rio Little League’s 10-12-year-old all-star softball team has done its part. Now it just needs an opponent.
The team won its first two games and is now in the championship game of the District 35 Little League 10-12-year-old softball tournament being played at Highlander Field at the Val Verde County Sports Complex off Frontera Road this week.
Del Rio will play in the championship game Wednesday at 9 p.m. Their opponent will be decided tonight when Eagle Pass takes on Kinney County at 9 p.m.
The tournament began Saturday with Del Rio defeating Kinney County and Eagle Pass beating La Pryor. That put Del Rio against Eagle Pass Monday with a spot in the championship game on the line.
Eagle Pass grabbed an early 2-0 advantage thanks to a pair of first inning runs. The lead grew to 3-0 with another run in the top of the second.
Del Rio got on the board in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs. Noelle Willoughby was hit by a pitch and then Chloe Palazuelos followed with a walk. Willoughby eventually scored on a passed ball to make the score 3-1, and the Palazuelos scored on a bases loaded walk to Catalina Quintero that cut the lead to 3-2.
After Eagle Pass bumped its lead up to 4-2 in the third, Del Rio took the lead in the bottom half of the third with six runs.
A pitch hit Ale Barbery to kick off the Del Rio at-bat. She would score on a dropped third strike to Clarissa Jimenez to make it 4-3.
Maya Ranes walked and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-4. Anaid Diaz walked and scored on a catcher’s error to give Del Rio a 5-4 lead. Sophia Quintero walked and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 6-4 game. A pitch hit Willoughby to send her to first and she would later score on a passed ball to give Del Rio a 7-4 lead.
Palazuelos would also walk and later scored to give Del Rio its final run of the inning and an 8-4 lead.
Eagle Pass cut the lead to 8-5 with a run in the fourth inning, but that was as close as they would get as a double play in the fifth inning and strong pitching by Barbery in the sixth helped close the door on any chances of a rally.
Eagle Pass could get another shot at Del Rio if they defeat Kinney County tonight at 9 p.m. Kinney County kept their championship game hopes alive with a 15-0, three-inning win over La Pryor Monday night.
The winner of tonight’s game will play Del Rio Wednesday night at 9 p.m. at the complex.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
