A San Benito Spectacular

I know, I know.
You're probably eating your Sunday breakfast right now saying, "Here goes Armando about another classic softball game he saw."
If that's the case, well... yes, I am.
Because San Benito's dramatic, 3-2 win over PSJA North Friday in their Class 5A regional quarterfinal game was the just the latest in a series of great games I've seen this year.
And it had so much on the line. Like I wrote Saturday, it was just magic.
What may be perhaps more amazing, is that this was the third (yes, third) playoff game this season that San Benito has won in walk-off fashion (see below).
You've read about the 15-inning masterpiece that was Harlingen-Harlingen South earlier this season. That was a game, no doubt.
And I could've mentioned the Harlingen-San Benito bi-district playoff game two weeks ago, a 1-0 win for San Benito in a nailbiter. The game ended on a walk-off hit by Blanche Treviño to score Tanya Parra for the game's only run.
Or how about last weekend's 2-1 triumph in 9 innings over Eagle Pass in Game 1 of their best-of-three area series? Adrienne ‘Itchy' Sauceda (more on her later) was clutch, smacking a double to drive in Sadie Sanchez to win the game. San Benito won 9-1 in Game 2 to sweep the Lady Eagles.
But keeping with the theme, the stage was set for another magic moment Friday night and yes it was nothing short of spectacular.
Yep, the Lady 'Hounds won it in a walk-off. And Sauceda was at it again.
Before the game even started, as I walked though the gates of Lady 'Hound Field, a couple of fans stopped to ask me what I thought the game would be like.
"One-run game, for sure," I said. "2-1 ballgame."
I was close.
San Benito scored two runs in the home half of the first inning and looked to be in control in front of the biggest crowd I've ever seen at Lady 'Hound Field.
As I mentioned in Saturday's edition of the Star, fans stood at almost any location of the complex to get a peek at the action. Some fans even made the walk to neighboring Bobby Morrow Stadium to look down on the action.
And they saw PSJA North, one of the Valley softball powerhouses, crawl back into the game, scoring runs in the third and fifth innings to tie the game. Kudos to Johnny Medrano's club for a well-played game.
But with great defensive plays keeping fans at the edge of their seats, the stage was set for another San Benito Spectacular at the end.
With one out in the seventh, Parra lined a single up the gut to get on base and eventually got to second base on a passed ball.
Then Blanche Treviño walked, and Sadie Sanchez laid down a big bunt to move the runners over.
Enter Sauceda once again.
The senior came up huge, hitting a hard shot to shortstop, and Parra slid home safely as the ball fell to the dirt to send the home side into pandemonium.
"She's been carrying us, hitting-wise," a jubilant San Benito skipper Elias Martinez said afterward after shaking more hands than a politician.
To do this against a quality opponent like PSJA North is remarkable in itself. But in an all-or-nothing playoff game? Simply amazing.
Now Martinez's club is back in the Sweet 16 round (yes, the final 16 in Class 5A) for the second time in three seasons.
"The way we're playing right now, you just can't count us out," Martinez said.
For a team that did not win the district title, to come together in this way and get on that proverbial roll this late in the season is just fantastic.
Or even magical.

Armando Garza covers high school softball for the Valley Morning Star. He can be reached at 956-430-6255 or at armandog@valleystar.com.