By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
To reach the playoffs, teams need to win the games they’re supposed to win and sometimes win games they aren’t expected to win.
The Del Rio Queens softball team did a little bit of both this weekend with big district wins over Laredo United and Laredo Nixon.
Those wins put the Queens at 6-3 in district with three games left to play in the regular season, and keeps Del Rio near the top of the district standings.
Friday, Del Rio traveled to Laredo to face the Lady Longhorns.
The game started well for the Queens as Rebekah Alcaraz doubled and eventually scored on a Hope Martinez single in the top of the first to stake Del Rio to a 1-0 lead.
Del Rio made it 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning as Jena Villarreal singled, Desiree Gomez double, and both scored on a Naylea Santana double to lead field. Martinez singled to center and helped bring in Santana to increase the lead to 4-0.
United got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, but the Queens once again made it a four-run lead in the top of the fifth as Syann Casillas walked and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Alcaraz for a 5-1 score.
The score remained 5-1 until the bottom of the sixth when United began a late-game rally. The Lady Longhorns scored three runs in the sixth as four of the first five batters of the inning notched hits to cut the Queens’ lead to one, 5-4.
The Queens didn’t let the rally faze them as they scored three more runs in the top of the seventh to give Del Rio an 8-4 cushion headed into the bottom of the inning.
Villarreal singled, Celeste Colunga reached on an error and Alcaraz reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases with no one out. Santana’s sacrifice fly brought in Villarreal to make it a 6-4 game. Jada Bishop followed with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Colunga to make it 7-4. Martinez then singled to drive in Alcaraz for an 8-4 Queens lead.
But United still had some fight left.
A double and back-to-back home runs cut the Queens’ lead to 8-7 with only one out, but Alcaraz struck out the next batter and then Martinez cut down a runner trying to steal third to end the game.
Queens 13
Laredo Nixon 3
Five innings
Saturday’s home game for the Queens started about as poorly as it could have for Del Rio.
Nixon jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a Jimena Ibarra triple, a Natalie Tristan single and a pair of Queens errors.
The Queens got two runs back in the bottom of the first.
Santana reached on an infield single and eventually scored on Martinez double to right field to make it a 3-1 game. Gomez came in to run for Martinez, and she scored on an error by Nixon’s catcher to make it 3-2.
Nixon looked to keep things going in the second as Ibarra and Mia Ramirez hit back-to-back singles to threaten with one out. But Rosanna Salas hit a line drive at Casillas at second, who then stepped on second base to double up Ibarra to end the at-bat.
Nixon would have just one more hit the rest of the way as Alcaraz allowed just one runner past second base over the next three innings to effectively silence the Lady Mustangs’ offense.
After a quiet second inning, Del Rio got the bats going again in the third inning.
Santana reached on an infield single and Bishop reached on an error to start the Queens’ at-bat. Kayla Mendoza walked to load the bases, but the fourth ball was wild and Santana scored. When Nixon’s catcher tried to throw the ball back to her pitch, the ball stuck to her hand went sailing left, allowing Bishop to score and put Del Rio ahead 4-3.
After an Alcaraz walk, Miamor Salazar singled to right to drive in the Queens’ fifth run. Casillas followed with a sacrifice bunt to bring home Alcaraz for a 6-3 Del Rio lead.
The lead grew to 7-3 in the fourth inning after Bishop walked, stole second and scored on a Martinez single.
Del Rio closed out the win in the bottom of the fifth.
Alcaraz was hit by a pitch to start the at-bat, stole second base and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Salazar. She would eventually scored on a passed ball to make the score 8-3.
Casillas singled, stole second and moved to third on a Nixon error that allowed Villarreal to reach base safely. She would score on another Nixon error to make it 9-3.
After Ithalia Ozuna was hit by a pitch, Santana followed with a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Bishop then drove in two with a single to right field, and Martinez closed out the game with a double to left field to clear the bases and give Del Rio the 13-3 win via the run rule.
Del Rio travels to Laredo Alexander Tuesday to face the Lady Bulldogs at 5 p.m.
The Queens’ final home game of the regular season will be Thursday at 6 p.m. against the Laredo United South Lady Panthers. That will also be Parents Night and Senior Night.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
