By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Del Rio’s baseball season opener was spoiled by too many mistakes from the home team.
The Rams opened the 2022 campaign Monday night with a 3-1 loss to the Eagle Pass C.C. Winn Mavericks in front of the home fans at The Bank & Trust Ram Field.
Winn didn’t waste time putting runs on the scoreboard. Alan Vielma reached on an infield single, and then promptly stole second base. After J.P. Ramos grounded out for the second out, Efrain Estrada deposited an Alex Rodriguez offering over the centerfield wall for a 2-0 lead.
Del Rio got one of the runs back in the bottom of the first inning.
Rodriguez kicked things off with a double. After advancing on a Ricky Limon single, Rodriguez would eventually score on a line drive to left field off the bat of Will Cooper.
Over the next four innings, neither team could add to their run total, but that was due in large part to the strong pitching from both teams.
Rodriguez settled down after the first inning, allowing just one more hit and striking out four batters before giving way to Cooper in the top of the fifth inning. Cooper struck out the first three batters he faced and retired the first four batters he faced overall before allowing a single to Ramos.
On the other side, Winn’s Vielma kept the Rams’ bats in check following the first inning. After Cooper’s hit, he retired the next 10 Rams batters before Roly Jimenez replaced him on the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning. Vielma, who earned the win, allowed one run on three hits while striking out five.
Jimenez was just as tough. He pitched three innings, allowing no runs, two hits, two walks and hitting one batter. He also struck out six batters.
Winn picked up its final run in the top of the sixth inning.
Ramos hit a one-out singe then took second on a wild pitch. After Estrada walked, Jorge Saucedo hit a ground ball that Del Rio’s Matt Mendez couldn’t field cleanly. Ramos was able to score, but the Rams escaped the inning without any more damage thanks to a double play.
Daniel Crispin pitched the seventh inning for Del Rio, striking out two batters and walking one without allowing a hit or a run.
The evening began with a ceremonial first pitch in honor of the late David Mayfield, a longtime part of Del Rio’s baseball community and a fixture at Ram Field for years. Mayfield’s widow, Maria, who operates the park’s concession stand and did so alongside her husband for many years, and their sons Hector and Jack Mayfield, both Rams baseball alumni, took part in the ceremony.
After the game, Jack, who played for Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and who has been playing baseball professionally since 2013, offered words of encouragement to the Rams players and engaged with players and fans from both teams.
Del Rio is scheduled to take part in the annual Border Olympics in Laredo this weekend.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
