By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
If Del Rio fails to make the high school baseball playoffs, it won’t be by inches, but by runs.
The Rams suffered their second consecutive loss and fell out of playoff contention Friday night when they took a tough 3-2 loss at the Laredo Nixon Mustangs.
Nixon now leapfrogs Del Rio into the fourth spot, behind Eagle Pass, Laredo Alexander and Laredo United, with three games left in the regular season.
The 3-2 loss follows on the heels of a 2-1 loss to United Tuesday. The loss also gives Nixon the season sweep over Del Rio and gives the Mustangs the edge should the two teams end the regular season tied in district play.
Del Rio pitcher Will Cooper allowed just one hit through the first three innings of play before he got into trouble in the bottom of the fourth.
Nixon got its first two runners on base via a single and hit batsmen. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners over, the rams elected to intentionally walk the next batter to load the bases and create a force out at any base. Del Rio managed to get the second out, but an error on the play allowed the Mustangs to score their first run of the game. The next batter cleared the bases with a triple to right field, and Del Rio trailed 3-0
At the plate, Del Rio could once again not overcome the efforts of Nixon’s Joey Gamez.
Gamez, who held the Rams to just one hit in the teams’ first encounter this season, continued his dominance of Del Rio, retiring the first nine batters he faced before Alex Rodriguez was able to reach on an error in the top of the fourth inning. He struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced including four in a row at one point.
Rodriguez would be picked off at first, and then Gamez struck out Ricky Limon and Matt Mendez to put Nixon back on track.
Del Rio got its first hit of the game in the top of the sixth via a Mario Soto double. He’d later score on an error off a ball hit by Rodriguez to cut the Mustangs’ lead to 3-1. Limon would follow with a single, but Gamez would then strike out Mendez to end the threat.
The Rams tried for one last rally in the top of the seventh.
Cooper singled to start the at-bat. After Jon Barragan was hit by a pitch, pinch runner Ty George and courtesy runner Ethan Matherne, who’d entered the game for Cooper, were moved up one base via a sacrifice bunt by Tommy Gambrel. After a Soto line out, Matherne was able to score on a passed ball to make it a 3-2 game.
Gamez got the final word, though, as he struck out Wade Cooper to end the game and preserve his win. Gamez finished with 14 strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Del Rio hosts Laredo Alexander Tuesday at 7 p.m. at The Bank & Trust Ram Field.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
