By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
While the quest for the postseason is over, the Del Rio Rams baseball team is still hungry to end the season on a positive note.
Del Rio hosts rivals Eagle Pass tonight at 7 at The Bank & Trust Ram Field in both team’s regular season finale. Del Rio already has one win over the Eagles this season, beating them 3-1 at their home on April 1, and a win tonight would give the Rams a .500 record in district play to end the season.
Junior varsity teams are scheduled to play at 4:30 p.m.
Tonight will also be Little League and Senior’s Night at the ballpark. Del Rio Little League players wearing their jerseys will be allowed into the park for free. Following the game, the Rams seniors and their families will be recognized.
Del Rio picked up its fifth district win Saturday when they travel to Laredo and beat the United South Panthers, 8-0. The win also snapped a three-game losing streak for the Rams.
Will Cooper and Daniel Crispin combined to hold South to just four hits. Cooper threw six shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks, but struck out nine. Crispin closed out the game by walking one batter and striking out one in an inning of work.
Del Rio picked up its first run in the top of the first after Ricky Limon doubled and later scored on an error. The Rams made it 2-0 in the second when Mario Soto, who singled in his at-bat, scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Alex Rodriguez.
In the third inning, Matt Mendez doubled and scored on a Cooper triple to push the Rams’ lead to 3-0.
Del Rio did the rest of its damage in the sixth.
The Rams loaded the bases on singles by Wade Cooper, Willson Smith and Rodriguez. Limon followed with Del Rio’s fourth straight single to bring in Cooper for a 4-0 lead. Mendez then brought in Smith on a fielder’s choice to increase the lead to 5-0. Mendez and Rodriguez would each score on an error to make it 7-0.
Tommy Gambrel brought in the Rams’ final run with a single to bring home courtesy runner Aiden Natividad and give Del Rio an 8-0 cushion.
Del Rio finished with 13 hits as a team including two each by Limon, Will Cooper, Wade Cooper and Smith.
Eagle Pass is fighting for a district championship. They and Laredo Alexander could share the district crown, but Alexander and United face each other Wednesday. Neither of those two teams has lost in the second half of district play, and a win by United would give them a share of the district title as well. Laredo Nixon claimed the fourth playoff spot.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
