Krystal Perez smacked two home runs while her sister, Katelyn, tossed a complete game in the circle to power 8th-ranked Los Fresnos to a 7-1 win over District 32-6A rival Weslaco High in Game 1 over their best-of-three regional quarterfinal series in the Class 6A state playoffs Thursday night in Los Fresnos

LOS FRESNOS — Los Fresnos third baseman Krystal Perez could not miss with her bat Thursday night.

The Falcons’ cleanup hitter stepped to the plate for the first time and carefully watched the first four pitches of the at-bat pass by her into the catcher’s mitt.

On the fifth, Perez squared up a rise ball and launched a no-doubter solo home run that sailed over the fence in left field and into the parking lot.

The solo shot was one of two moonshot home runs for the Falcons slugged, as she powered Los Fresnos’ offensive fireworks display in a 7-1 home victory over district rival Weslaco High in Game 1 of their best-of-three regional quarterfinals series in the Class 6A state playoffs.

“Everyone knows what we’re capable of,” Los Fresnos pitcher Katelyn Perez said. “We’re just going to stay positive and keep up the energy.”

“I think our last series with (San Antonio) Warren helped us out a lot tonight,” catcher Sam Campos said. “We saw a really good pitcher with them and coming into this series against some good pitchers, I think what helped a lot was our last series.”

Perez’s leadoff home run during the bottom of the second gave the Falcons a slight edge over the Panthers in what began as a pitchers’ duel between Weslaco’s Katia Reyes and Los Fresnos’ Katelyn Perez.

That all changed in the fifth, though, when the Falcons utilized their power hitting to spark an early rally and jump on their District 32-6A rivals.

Center fielder Teresa Villa and shortstop Aileen Avelar swatted back-to-back doubles to start the frame in what became a six-run inning that featured five extra-base hits.

Villa, Avelar, Katelyn Perez and Campos each recorded doubles within the first five at-bats of the inning to bring Krystal Perez back to the plate, who belted her second sky-scraper home run of the night to drive in three runs and position the Falcons comfortably ahead 7-0.

“I think that really broke open the game,” Campos said. “The fifth inning is usually the inning when we rally, bring our bats out and start hitting.”

The Panthers, however, responded with a rally of their own during the following frame.

Weslaco loaded the bases with one out thanks to leadoff singles by center fielder Merilen Chavarria and right fielder Jordan Diaz and followed by Lexie Escamilla, who played shortstop and left field, drawing a free pass to first after being hit by a pitch.

That set up catcher Jules Garcia to bring the first run of the night home for the Panthers on an RBI single into left field, but Katelyn Perez slammed the door shut shortly thereafter recording three of Weslaco’s final five outs via strikeout.

The Falcons’ ace ended a complete-game effort in the circle with eight strikeouts and four singles allowed.

“I just stayed calm, and I always try to stay calm (in those situations),” she said. “Even if there’s runners on base, I just try to do my thing and (tonight) it worked.”

The loss drops Weslaco to 19-5 on the season and snaps the Rio Grande Valley’s longest active winning streak on the softball diamond at six straight games.

The victory lifts Los Fresnos to 21-3 overall, meanwhile, and gives the team its third win of the year over the Panthers in addition to a 1-0 series lead.

The Falcons have now won their last three games after rallying to eliminate top-ranked and previously unbeaten San Antonio Warren out of the postseason in the area round. Los Fresnos will aim for the sweep when the series shifts to Weslaco for Game 2 at 7 p.m. Friday.

“I think our energy just needs to stay up, like it did today and in those Warren games,” Campos said. “We just need to keep cheering and cheer each other up.”

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @ByAndyMcCulloch