By CHRISTY CORTEZ
Special to the NEWS
The San Benito Lady 'Hounds remained undefeated Tuesday evening after dispatching of the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles in a 3-0 victory. (File photo)
The San Benito Lady ’Hounds remain undefeated after ending the first half of district play Tuesday night, but not after enduring a small scare.
The Lady ’Hounds added another win to their impressive record with a final score of 3-0, edging the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles.
The victory didn’t come easy. The Lady ’Hounds (21-2 overall and 7-0 in district) swung hard from the start but weren’t able to get past a determined Lady Eagle defense until late in the fourth inning when clutch player Adriana “Squirt” Flores came through once again for her team, slapping a hit in great position to earn two bases and give Amanda Garza the chance to help Flores get home with a hard hit to third base. That helped move Flores into scoring position.
After Garza earned the out at first, Yesenia Penablanca delivered a fly to deep right field which gave Flores the opportunity to tag third base and speed off past home plate unscathed. The Lady ’Hounds retired the fourth inning with only one run.
The Lady ’Hounds’ iron clad defense never disappointed and kept the Lady Eagles from putting up any runs. They stood strong behind freshman ace Amber Jasso who ended the night with seven strikeouts. First baseman KC Sanchez shined bright in two praiseworthy diving catches while almost crashing into the fence head on in her attempt to catch a foul ball. KC along with Flores later snagged a double play off a diving catch by Sanchez who then threw to Flores, who covered first base as the Lady Eagles made a base running error and two outs. Other notable defensive plays came from centerfielder Dorothy Milan and shortstop Amanda Garza.
In the sixth inning, the Lady ’Hounds took advantage of base hits with Head Softball Coach Elias Martinez’s signature style of aggressive base running, and mistakes by Hanna helped seal the victory for the Lady ’Hounds.
Jasso reached first base after the Lady Eagles first baseman dropped the ball that could’ve sent Jasso back to the dugout. Amanda Garza contributed big with a solid hit past a desperate Hanna shortstop that brought Jasso in, and Garza landed at third base after a Hanna error. Penablanca gained another RBI as she laid down a hit that brought Garza home and sent the Lady Eagles home with a loss.
The Lady ’Hounds retired the seventh as well as the Lady Eagles with a quick three outs and an untouched scoreboard as they remained untouched as the first round of district play came to a close.
A relieved Martinez commented on the difficulty of Tuesday’s game comparing it to earlier district games. He said, “It was a tough game. This late in district everyone has had time to get better and make adjustments. Everyone’s pitching and hitting is getting better and we’re going have to work hard for everyone. But this win feels good.”
Martinez’s strategy going into the second turn of district competition and capturing their seventh district title is to capitalize on their infallible defense. “We pride ourselves on our defense, defense is going to win championships,” Martinez said with pride.
The Lady ’Hounds are to set face Brownsville Rivera Friday at Lady ’Hound Stadium, this during Parent’s Night. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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