LYFORD — Lyford coach Albert Garza hit a bomb in the gap between left field and center field.
Left fielder Mikaela Lopez found shortstop Alyssa Garcia at the cutoff, and the Our Lady of the Lake-bound athlete turned and threw out the runner at home plate. Behind home plate was recent Prairie View A&M signee Hailey Pena.
The girls practiced situations with runners in scoring positions. Coach Albert Garza placed the ball in challenging situations for the District 31-3A champions.
Lyford finished the season 21-4-1 (8-0 31-3A), but it is a reality that the Lady Bulldogs do not have a strong district. They beat one team 29-0 in the beginning of district play.
The young programs they face could dull the blade, and on top of that the district only has three teams, meaning Lyford will have a bye in the first round.
“Because of the district, I do not have a great idea where we stand,” Garza said. “I did see the girls grow at the beginning of the season, before district.”
The Lady Bulldogs’ non-district schedule had to be tough, and it was. Lyford pulled out solid wins over La Feria, Harlingen High, McAllen Rowe and Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway. The Lady Bulldogs lost 5-2 to PSJA North, one of the best teams in the Rio Grande Valley.
They tied Harlingen South at 3 and lost to San Benito twice, 3-0 and 7-6. Lyford and San Benito have a scrimmage planned this week to prepare for the playoffs.
Mid-March was the last time the Lady Bulldogs had a solid challenge.
“They did well,” Garza said about the team’s performance during non-district play. “Hopefully after the San Benito scrimmage we have a great understanding of where we stand. San Benito has a really tough district, so they have been playing lights out every week.”
During the week, Pena signed with Prairie View A&M, the NCAA Division I program outside of Houston. Pena was recruited after attending a camp at the university.
“It feels amazing,” she said. “Especially because my teammates encouraged me to get there. The campus is huge, the environment looked good and I know people there, so I will not be by myself.”
Pena said they are preparing for the playoffs against their own pitching. Mia Wetegrove, a senior, is one of the best pitchers in the area, Garza said.
“I give my teammates everything I can,” Wetegrove said.
The senior said the chemistry has been amazing this year.
“We all get along and have no issues,” she said. “It is easier to get along as a team and perform better.”
Garza said he noticed this team’s camaraderie was special when the team decided to sit together at a restaurant instead of sitting in groups.
“It is a good atmosphere to be in,” Garcia said. “We have a good group and we have really grown. It is really making this year a lot more memorable and enjoyable.”
Said Mikaela Lopez, “I feel like (the chemistry) is going to get us somewhere in the playoffs.”
The girls likely will face a familiar foe in the second round of the playoffs, Santa Gertrudis Academy. The Lions have knocked out Lyford in the playoffs the past two seasons.
“They are an amazing team, but we are going to compete with them,” Garcia said.
