RIO GRANDE CITY —The Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Lady Hornets defeated the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers 10-1 in their Class 5A regional quarterfinal Friday night.
The score was 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when a light went out, causing the game to move down the road to Grulla. Flour Bluff added six runs in the sixth.
“Incredibly proud of them,” Flour Bluff coach Aspen Auger said. “They were put in a really tough situation. This is something they prepared for, they went in and took care of business. Any time there was a moment when we were down, they came back and pushed through.”
Brownsville Veterans struck first during the first inning. A sacrifice fly by Lady Chargers second baseman Natalie Mendoza scored shortstop Andrea Chapa, who led off the inning with a double.
Flour Bluff responded in the second inning. Emily Mayo drove in Harley Elam with a double after Elam hit a double herself.
The defenses of both teams took over. Brownsville Veterans infielders Reggie Santivanez, Chapa and Mendoza all came up with big plays to help their team out of innings. Lady Chargers center fielder Sammy Aguirre also pulled off a nice catch in the outfield to keep Flour Bluff at one run.
Lady Hornets shortstop Nevaeh Lanter and third baseman Sydney Salinas also came up with key defensive plays to help their team. Both teams could have a run or two, but the defense was immaculate for most of the game.
Brownsville Veterans pitcher Alexis Tamez and Flour Bluff pitcher Jade Moreno delivered strikes and allowed their defenses to have their back.
The Lady Hornets broke the deadlock during the fifth inning. Lanter’s shot up the middle scored a run to give her team a 2-1 lead. The Lady Chargers survived a bases-loaded situation to end the inning.
In the sixth, the Lady Chargers again threatened with bases loaded, but Moreno and the Lady Hornets found a way out of the inning to maintain their one-run lead.
“Tonight’s loss definitely hurt,” said Natalie Mendoza, the Lady Chargers’ only senior. “We knew coming in how hard it was going to be. This team takes it for a lot of motivation for next year. The season was tough with Rayner (Cardenas) being out, but we just came together as family not just for him, but for the whole team.”
