By Brian Argabright
What started off as a rout turned into a nail-biter for the Queens softball team.
Del Rio was four runs away from stopping Laredo Nixon via the run rule Monday afternoon, but the Lady Mustangs were able to cut the lead to just two runs. The Queens answered and then escaped one final rally to win their second district game of the season, 11-7.
After giving up a run in the first, Del Rio responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Two Nixon errors allowed Ari Alcaraz, McKenna Rodriguez and Giselle Valdez score and give Del Rio a 3-1 lead.
Nixon tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the third, but again the Queens responded, scoring four runs in their half of the inning to reclaim the lead.
Kayla Mendoza had a two-run triple, and Alexis Salinas and Ashley Salinas delivered RBI singles to help put the Queens back on top, 7-3.
The lead grew to 9-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to RBI triples by Desi Rodriguez and Valdez.
Facing a loss via the run rule, Nixon slowly chipped away at Del Rio’s lead. The Lady Mustangs scored once in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 9-4, and then tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth inning to trim the Queens’ lead to 9-7. The big blow of the sixth was a two-run double by Nat Tristan.
Del Rio helped ice the game in the bottom of the sixth. After Desi Rodriguez’s second triple, Martinez followed with a sacrifice fly to pushed the lead to 10-7. Valdez would then tour the bases thanks to a pair of Nixon errors on her ground ball and her run made it an 11-7 game.
Ari Alcaraz, who came on in relief of her sister Rebecca in the top of the sixth, allowed a two-out infield single in the top of the seventh, but then shut the door on the Lady Mustangs with a called-third strikeout to end the game.
Del Rio finished the game with 11 hits as a team. Desi Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with two triples, an RBI and two runs scored. Martinez had a hit and an RBI. Valdez finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Alexis Salinas was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Mendoza was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Ashley Salinas had a hit and an RBI. McKenna Rodriguez scored twice as a courtesy runner, and Syann Casillas scored once.
Del Rio heads to Laredo Wednesday to face Alexander. The Queens’ next home game is Tuesday, March 23, when they face Laredo United South at 5 p.m. at the Queens Softball Field.
