EDINBURG — District title contenders Edinburg Vela and PSJA High put on a laser show during their 31-6A clash Tuesday night with the SaberCats pulling out a 14-12 victory at Robert Vela High School.
The SaberCats erased an early 7-1 deficit by scoring seven runs during the bottom of the second inning. Rudy Gonzalez blasted a three-run home run, which put Vela ahead 8-7.
From that point on, the Bears and SaberCats took turns exchanging hits as both teams combined to rack up 12 apiece in a game that saw the lead change on six occasions.
Gonzalez also drove in the go-ahead score on a single during the bottom of the fifth inning to give Vela a 13-12 lead before adding an insurance run during the sixth for the final margin.
The win sends Edinburg Vela to 4-1 overall and 4-1 in district play, while the loss is PSJA High’s first of the season. The Bears are now 4-1 overall and 3-1 in 31-6A competition.
Diego Gomez led PSJA High with a five-RBI game that included a first inning grand slam, while Viggo Lopez, third baseman Julius Ramirez and left fielder Nevin Herrera each had two RBIs for the Bears.
Gonzalez went 3 for 4 with four RBIs for the SaberCats. Catcher Jaime Perez Jr. had a 2 for 3 day with two RBIs and two walks, with Diego Cortez and Carlos Peña also driving in two runs each. Ivan Mendoza finished 3 for 3 with three runs scored and one walk.
Edinburg Vela’s Matthew Perez picked up the win with two innings of work, while senior pitcher AJ Sotelo closed things out with five strikeouts during the sixth and seventh innings to keep the Bears off the scoreboard late.
Next for Edinburg Vela is a District 31-6A road bout against the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies (0-5, 0-5) scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Juarez-Lincoln High School.
Meanwhile, the Bears have a rivalry game on deck as they’re slated to face PSJA North (1-3, 1-3) at 7 p.m. Friday at C.V. Cain Stadium at PSJA High School.
