LA JOYA — La Joya senior pitcher Santiago Tijerina struck out 11 and allowed no hits as the Coyotes downed the Panthers 3-0 during Game 2 of a best-of-3 regional quarterfinal series Friday at the Leo Garza Jr. Baseball and Softball Complex.
The Coyotes victory ties the series 1-1, forcing a winner take all contest tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at Weslaco High School.
La Joya High came out firing during the bottom of the second inning, taking a 1-0 lead on a RBI single by Lucas Zambrano.
The Coyotes added to their lead on the next at bat, with Rolando Solis bringing in another run to make it 2-0 after two innings.
An errors by the Panthers during the bottom of the fifth put the Coyotes in scoring position once again, with Vadhir De Hoyos advancing to third.
La Joya took advantage of the Panthers mishap, with Kevin Flores hitting a line drive to left field to bring in De Hoyos for the security run.
A double play by the Coyotes during the top of the sixth kept the Panthers off the board, with Tijerina adding one final strikeout during the top of the seventh to secure the win.
Solis and Zambrano led the Coyotes during the night, each recording two hits and bringing in one run. Flores added one hit and one RBI.
Tijerina took home the win on the mound for the Coyotes, striking out 11 of the 25 batters faced in seven innings of action.
Weslaco High’s John Reyna tallied the loss on the mound for the Panthers, finishing with six strikeouts and three runs allowed in five innings.
Photo Gallery: La Joya High sends Weslaco High into regional series game 3 after a 3-0 win at home
