HARLINGEN — It has been a wild last two rounds for Harlingen South and it couls be more of the same in the Class 5A Region IV championship series, but for the sake everyone’s heart at the game and watching on streams – let’s up the Hawks do what they are capable of and put it all together.
Harlingen South takes on Liberty Hill at 6 p.m. tonight in Game 1 of a best of three-game series at Cabaniss in Corpus Christi. Game 2 and possibly Game 3 will be at NISD Softball Field in San Antonio.
The last time the Hawks put together an all-around performance was Game 1 of the Carroll series where the Hawks won 9-3. After that the Hawks have been involved in some intense games with clutch endings by various members of Harlingen South.
“I don’t think they fully comprehend how elite of a team they are when they fully contribute,” Harlingen South head coach Joey Rios said. “Our offense has not fully clicked in a minute, hopefully this is the right time and we start peaking with everyone contributing.”
Harlingen South senior catcher Haley Vasquez said the team had a realistic goal of making to the third round when the season started. The Hawks really wanted to make it to the third round after being eliminated in round two the previous three seasons.
“Everybody has stepped up and has come together as a team,” Vasquez said. “Everybody, from our base runners, to bullpen catcher and all the way to our starting nine, we have all stepped up and taken that responsibility to rely on each other know matter who it is.”
Hawks sophomore Jaylin Mata has had clutch hits in the third and fourth rounds. Mata had a walk-off home run in Game 2 against Leander.
“We have come along way from last year,” Mata said. “Especially, our sophomores – which is me and others – we have really stepped up and played our part this year.”
Harlingen South senior Emily Ruiz officially signed with Huston-Tillotson University on Tuesday. The senior did not think she would be able to play college softball after tearing her ACL in the summer, but here she is signing to the next level and being a key player for the Hawks.
Ruiz picked up the series sealing walk-off hit in Game 3 against Leander.
“It was a great feeling,” Ruiz said. “It is just great to know that I could help out my team.”
The Hawks have had a lot of terrific hitting in clutch situations, but also pitching to put them in those spots to pick up wins. Juniors Lexi Sandoval and Amira Rodriguez is one of the best pitching duos in the region and could be the state after this weekend.
Rodriguez has the speed and Sandoval has the spin.
“I think I have been executing how I needed to,” Sandoval said. “I have struck out some people while letting others hit and having my defense behind me. We are winning games and doing what we need to do.”
Rios said both of his pitchers are tough and hard workers. Rodriguez is a state qualifying power lifter while Sandoval has grown a lot since last season and is really pitching well this season as her velocity and command has noticeably increased.
“I think a good example is the second game of last series where (Sandoval) came in during the sixth or seventh inning and they could not touch her,” Rodriguez said. “It was a difference, she is a really good pitcher with spin and me, I am fast – I think that kind of threw them off and they just could not adjust.”
Sandoval and Rodriguez is going to have their work cut out for them against a lineup that features DI talent, but they did well last week against a Leander that also had DI talent in its lineup and had split games with Liberty Hill during district play.
Whatever happens this weekend with the Hawks happens, but one thing is likely to be certain and that is, you can’t count them out.
