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West scores six unanswered runs to rally past East
LA JOYA — It was a pitching duel early and a slugfest late at the La Joya Baseball Complex as the West All Stars scored six unanswered runs to defeat the East All Stars 6-5 in 10 innings Saturday.
After five innings of solid pitching and sturdy defense a fielding error led to the first two runs by the East. Mague Treviño would also come home at the top of the sixth for a 3-0 East lead.
Alberto Rodriguez’s two-run home run in the seventh gave the East a 5-0 lead, but the West rallied as Mission High’s Issac Martinez ripped a two-run bases-loaded single to left centerfield to score Edgar Salinas and Rollie Garcia to cut the lead to two. The West scored five runs off of six hits to even the affair.
Brownsville Hanna’s John Little was able to travel all the way to third base at the top of the eighth for what could’ve been the go-ahead run but a stellar leaping catch by Alex Di Villegas iced the chance and created the third out.
With the game still tied at five at the bottom of the 10th, Lupe Rodriguez stepped to the plate with the game winning run on second. He saw the pitch breaking left and cracked it to center field to end it.
“It means a lot to me to be able to lace up for the final time and be the guy that brings it home,” said Rodriguez, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. “I saw it coming down at me and I was just focused on putting in play, I was surprised the contact on that was as good as it was.”
La Joya High’s Adrian Garza, who was the starting pitcher for the West, pitched two no-hit innings while striking out three. He had a chance to close out the game in regulation at the plate, and worked a full count. But he was too eager on Alex Luna’s splitter and struck out.
“It’s a huge honor to be asked to lead this group of very talented athletes,” Sharyland coach Barton Bickerton said. “This game really was day and night, we were getting strikes and playing defense and doing everything we were supposed to do but just fell behind. It’s great to see Lupe walk up to the plate with the game on the line like that and finish off the comeback.”
