Win or wait til next year

SAN BENITO - Marquee matchups don't get any bigger than this.
Two of the Valley's softball powers go at it tonight with eve-rything on the line as San Benito hosts PSJA North in Class 5A regional quarterfinal one-game playoff tonight at Lady 'Hound Field.
First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m.
Both teams were fixtures atop the Valley Morning Star's Top 10 poll for most of the season, with North leaping into the top spot for a spell and San Benito never dropping below the top five.
"It's gonna be a pitcher's duel," San Benito coach Elias Martinez said. "I don't see anyone blowing anyone away, so it's gonna be a great ballgame."
Indeed the game will be a showcase for two of the area's most talented pitchers, San Be-nito's JoAnn Herrera and Roxanne Rodriguez of PSJA North.
So a low-scoring, one-run game is a distinct possibility.
"We need to stay within what we do (to beat North)," Martinez said. "Which is make the routine play defensively and play smart offensively."
The Lady 'Hounds (26-6) are trying to get into the state's Sweet 16 round for the second time in three seasons. Two years ago, they ousted North to make the regional semifinals.
They're here this time by virtue of their area round sweep of Eagle Pass last weekend. San Benito got revenge on the Lady Eagles, who eliminated them in the area round last season.
San Benito is 3-0 in the playoffs thus far, including a one-game win over Harlingen in bi-district before the sweep of Eagle Pass.
Besides Herrera, the Lady 'Hounds are a youthful club with a good mix of experienced sen-iors.
PSJA North (31-6), meanwhile, has been magnificent all season, dropping only one district con-test, a 1-0 decision to Harlingen.
The Lady Raiders won the Mis-sion Fastpitch Festival as well as the La Joya Tourney en route to a No. 1 ranking earlier this season. Included in that was an extra-inning win over San Benito at the La Joya Tourney.
"I kept telling our girls, we're going up against one of the best teams in the Valley," Martinez said of North. "They've beat us before. So we take everyone seri-ously, especially PSJA North."
North skipper Johnny Medrano's club got all it could handle from Sharyland, dropping Game 1 7-4 before rallying to win the remaining two 1-0 and 4-0 to take last weekend's series. They shut out Weslaco 11-0 in bi-district the week before.
And the Lady Raiders aren't just Rodriguez. A talented infield and overall experienced club makes them one of the Valley's best for a reason.
Meanwhile, Martinez said having the game at the always-packed Lady 'Hound Field will be a definite plus against the always-tough Lady Raiders.
"Anytime you're in a one-game series at home, the home team does have an advantage," he said. "But on the other side, they're gonna be working harder. Either way you look at it, it's gonna be a great ballgame and I'm glad it's gonna be at our place."
The winner of this game will move on to the regional semifi-nals to face either San Antonio O'Connor or Austin Bowie next weekend.