PSJA Memorial senior Jasmine Martinez winds up to deliver a pitch during a District 31-5A game against McAllen Rowe on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at Nikki Rowe High School in McAllen. (Julio Montalvo | Special to The Monitor)

McALLEN — PSJA Memorial’s Jasmine Martinez was determined to finish what she started in a high-stakes District 31-5A duel Tuesday night.

The Wolverines’ starting pitcher got her team on the board to start the night and kept her squad ahead throughout the game before some late-inning drama threatened to turn the tide.

Down to its final three outs, McAllen Rowe loaded the bases to bring the potential tying run to the plate in a must-win game for two district title contenders.

Martinez, though, delivered again in crunch time for the Wolverines, striking out three batters during the bottom of the seventh inning to lift PSJA Memorial to a 5-1 victory over the Warriors at McAllen Rowe High School to keep the team’s district championship aspirations alive.

“We knew that we had to put our minds into this game, come out and play our best,” Martinez said. “It feels amazing (to win like this) because it just shows how hard we worked together as a team. If it wasn’t for my team — my outfield, my infield — to call time to come in and boost me up, then I feel like we probably wouldn’t have done so well.”

McAllen Rowe senior third baseman Ziomara Jasso tries to throw out PSJA Memorial senior Jasmine Martinez during a District 31-5A game on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at Nikki Rowe High School in McAllen. (Julio Montalvo | Special to The Monitor)

“We came out here and did our best because we knew that’s what it would take to get a win to-night,” PSJA Memorial third baseman Cassie Cepeda said. “There’s not really any secret. It’s been a lot of practice and hard work. Practice is what has us doing this and it’s all about the work we’ve put in at home.”

Martinez gave the Wolverines an early edge after lacing a lead-off single in the first at-bat of the game.

Memorial’s pitcher scored the first run of the game after stealing home plate on a wild pitch and made sure her team never surrendered the lead.

“It’s paid off great for us throughout the whole season,” Martinez said. “Stealing has helped us move runners up and set up hits for us to score.”

Martinez hurled a gem in the circle and continued what’s been a stellar season as the team’s ace.

The senior tossed a complete game and tallied 10 strikeouts, while allowing only four hits and a pair of walks. She limited the Warriors, District 31-5A’s highest-scoring team, to just three base runners through the first six innings and stymied one of the Rio Grande Valley’s most explosive lineups.

“I think my rise ball has helped me throughout this season,” she said. “And I think it’s going to help me the rest of the season moving forward.”

PSJA Memorial senior Jasmine Martinez hurls a pitch during a District 31-5A game against McAllen Rowe on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at Nikki Rowe High School in McAllen. (Julio Montalvo | Special to The Monitor)

Cepeda added to the cause for PSJA Memorial with the biggest hit of the night.

The senior third baseman smashed a towering, moonshot home run over the left-field fence that gave her team a 4-1 advantage in the third to break up a developing pitchers’ duel.

The Wolverines added another insurance run during the sixth after catcher Marissa Camacho tripled to left field to lead off the inning and scored on a fielder’s choice.

Cepeda finished with a 1-for-4 night at the plate and two RBIs, as she and Camacho combined for two of three extra-base hits between both teams on the night.

“I was just looking for a pitch. Every batter has their pitch and I was just looking for something that I knew I could hit,” Cepeda said. “After finishing my swing and starting running, I just knew (it was gone).”

The loss drops Rowe to 10-8 overall and 9-3 in district play, while guaranteeing the Warriors 30-5A’s third seed heading into the postseason.

The victory moves PSJA Memorial to 12-5 overall and 11-1 against district competition.

The win also sets up a monumental matchup between the Wolverines and Sharyland Pioneer (15-3-1, 11-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in Alamo that should serve as the de-facto District 30-5A championship game with one more district game afterward for each team.

“We’re going to keep working,” Cepeda said. “Yes, we got this win, but we’ve got another big game coming up. Whatever happens there happens.”

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @ByAndyMcCulloch