DONNA — The Weslaco East Wildcats got off to a hot start to the 2020 season before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down high school baseball across the state.
This year, the Wildcats (7-3, 3-0) have picked up where they left off after sweeping their District 32-5A series against Donna High with a dominant 19-0 win in three innings Thursday at Donna High School.
“I thought last year was going to be a playoff run team for us. We have everyone coming back and I think it’s just the mentality of the kids — they’re hungry and they want to play and they want to win,” Weslaco East head coach Mike Brown said.
The Wildcats set the tone against Donna with a four-run first inning, but that was only the beginning.
Weslaco East exploded with a 15-run top of the third on nine hits. All nine batters in the Wildcats’ lineup finished with at least one RBI.
“Our kids played well. They hit the ball well, did a lot of good things running the bases and made plays when they had to, and our pitcher on the mound pitched a great game,” Brown said.
Starting pitcher Antonio Balboa led Weslaco East with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, three RBIs, one walk and one run scored. On the mound, the sophomore allowed just two hits while striking out five in three innings on 44 pitches.
Shortstop Jesse Lopez and first baseman Nathan Rivas scored three runs each. Alex Solis drove in three runners on two hits and Joseph Perez added two RBIs.
The Wildcats improve to 3-0 in district action and sit atop the standings as the last unbeaten team in 32-5A.
Next for Weslaco East is a District 32-5A two-game series against Mercedes. First pitch of Game 1 is slated for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Weslaco East High School, with Game 2 scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Mercedes High School.
Meanwhile, Donna High will attempt to bounce back with two games against Edcouch-Elsa. Donna will travel to Edcouch-Elsa for Game 1 at 6 p.m. Tuesday, and host the Yellow Jackets for Game 2 at 7 p.m. Friday.
