Brownsville Lopez grinds out win over Sharyland Pioneer

Edward Severn

BROWNSVILLE — After Brownsville Lopez’s Chalene Granado drove in two runs with a triple in the bottom of the third she let out a huge roar towards the Lopez dugout. Granado was key with 3 RBIs as the Lobos beat Sharyland Pioneer 5-1 to take Game 1 of their bi-district series against the Diamondbacks.

Lopez senior pitcher Jenny Shank was able to keep Sharyland Pioneer at bay and threw 8 strikeouts. An efficient and expected performance for the Lobos’ pitcher.

Overall, a somewhat expected game for the Lobos at home, but the Diamondbacks have been in this situation before in recent years. Game 2 is at 7 p.m. Friday at Sharyland Pioneer.

“The girls hit the ball well,“ Lopez head coach Jesse Martinez said about the win. “Discipline at the plate made the difference tonight. They have a young team and the young lady came out throwing some balls and we took advantage of it. When we had to, we swung the bat and hit the ball hard. Defensively, we played some good ball, and of course, Jenny had a good game.”

Lopez Lobo (7) Ferni Polido hits the ball Thursday evening. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

Granado went 2-for-3 on the night. She drove in the first run of the game in the second. Lopez added two more runs when Ferni Pulido skied a hit that gave the Diamondbacks trouble, it was ruled an error.

Granado then drove in two more in the bottom of the third with that triple. Granado said she knows she has to come through in those situations for her team.

“I feel like with me being a lead-off hitter I have to take control when I am at bat and find a way to get on base or drive those runners home,” she said. “I think I have done a good job so far.”

Granado admitted to struggling at times this season, but is currently focused on being strong mentally and having fun.

Lopez Lady Lobo Aneesa Torres (14) hustles to home plate to score a run Thursday, April 24, 2025, against Mission Pioneer Diamondbacks in Brownsville. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

Those runs was all Shank needed.

Sharyland Pioneer did threaten in the later innings, but could not generate enough offense to really put the pressure on the Lobos.

“I think I did my job,” Shank said. “My team helped out behind me. We were all playing together. Whenever I wasn’t doing my job, they were doing it for me.”

Martinez said that Shank will be in the circle for Game 2. Shank is ready to potentially pitch every inning for the Lobos in the playoffs.

Lopez Lady Lobo pitcher Jenny Shank (99) pitches the ball Thursday, April 24, 2025, against Mission Pioneer Diamondbacks in Brownsville. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

“I know I can do it,” Shank said. “I just think it will be hard because the batters have already seen me, each batter three to four times. That just means that I have to work harder than what I am doing already.”

Martinez added that he was proud with how far this team has come along. The Lobos lost some key players last year, like most teams do, but the good ones still find away to win important games and Brownsville Lopez has done that this year.

The winner of this series takes on either Corpus Christi Carroll or Laredo Nixon in the area round of the Class 5A DII playoffs.

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