MERCEDES — After a pair of runs by the Edcouch-Elsa Yellow Jackets cut Mercedes’ lead to one during the top of the seventh inning, Tigers head coach Kristy Leal decided it was time to pull starting pitcher Klarissa Rizo and bring in Anastasia Gomez to close.
Gomez struggled initially on the mound, hitting the first batter she faced, with the second getting on base following an error by the Tigers.
The Tigers and Gomez, however, remained calm and collected. On the ensuing play, Rizo, who moved to shortstop following the pitching change, picked off Edcouch-Elsa’s Liliana Gonzalez as she tried to steal third for the Yellow Jackets’ second out of the inning.
Gomez closed out the game with a strikeout of Genesis English for the final out, as the Tigers held of the Yellow Jackets 6-5 during a District 32-5A contest Tuesday at Coach Betty Morrell Field in Mercedes.
“We knew they had (Klarissa) Rizo’s number,” Leal said. “We knew that was going to be the case with it being the second round of district. Luckily, we had a great closer tonight. You saw her up and down when she got that last strikeout. We love that energy. We know she (Gomez) can get it done so we gave her the opportunity and she did.”
Rizo earned the win for the Tigers, recording seven strikeouts and two earned runs allowed in 6.1 innings pitched.
The victory marks the fifth straight by the Tigers since a 5-4 loss to Brownsville Veterans on March 15. Mercedes sits atop the District 32-5A standings with an 8-1 overall mark. The Yellow Jackets fall to 4-5 in district play, dropping their fourth straight contest.
“We’ve made progress since then,” Leal said. “We’ve adjusted. The kids are being coachable. They’re changing things we did at the beginning that we weren’t successful with. I think now we’re a different team. We have kids playing in different places and stepping up in different roles.”
The Tigers struggled to get on the board early, with the Yellow Jackets jumping out to a 3-0 advantage through two and a half innings.
Mercedes’ bats came to life during the third, however, erupting for four runs on RBIs by Adamari Perales, Ashley De Leon and Mishale De La Torre. The fourth run came on an error by the Yellow Jackets, giving the Tigers their first lead of the contest.
Junior shortstop Bridgette Sanchez added another pair of runs during the bottom of the fourth and sixth, putting Mercedes up 6-3 going into the final inning. Sanchez finished 2-of-4 at the plate, including two RBIs.
“Honestly, it was just us picking each other up,” Sanchez said. “I knew we had it. We all got each other. It was just about keeping our confidence going and motivating each other. I just wanted to do it for the girls and for the team. It’s not about selfish. I was just thinking about getting runs on the board.”
