Cardinals come up clutch against Greyhounds

HARLINGEN — Harlingen High’s Amaris Gomez does not look like your prototypical home-run hitter. She is only listed at 5’2 on MaxPreps, but she has a big swing. The junior powered the Cardinals to a 5-3 win Tuesday night with a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh against local rival San Benito.

It was Gomez’s second of the night. She hit her first two-run homer of the evening, also to center field, in the bottom of the first.

Gomez swung at the first pitch she saw, like her previous at bat – a fly out. However, there was no doubt this one was gone when it left her bat.

Harlingen Lady Cardinal Amaris Gomez (5) hits the ball Tuesday evening against San Benito Lady Greyhounds at Harlingen High School softball field. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

“I was kind of thinking of laying off of it,” Gomez said about her walk-off. “But, I just saw it there and I took it.”

She said, that she did not necessarily swing for the fences, even though she had already hit a homer and hit the wall. Gomez was 3-for-4. The junior just wanted to make contact to set up first baseman Zuelly Cruz with an opportunity.

Cruz went deep after Gomez did in the first.

“I was just hoping to get on and do some damage,” Gomez said.

Harlingen Lady Cardinal Zuelly Cruz (17) celebrates with her teammates after hitting a homerun Tuesday evening. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

Gomez came through after the Greyhounds tied the game at 3 in the fifth. San Benito’s Annalise Rodriguez drove in two runs with a double after Meagan Medina’s sac fly made it 3-1.

Cardinals pitcher Jozalin Bravo was solid other than that inning as well as the defense behind her.

“The girls fought” Harlingen High head coach Kevin Ledesma said. “We have harped on this game the entire season. We knew where we wanted to be, we are 4-0 in district right now. It has been a building process, it has not happened over night. A lot of girls have been in this program three years, four years, so games like this do not come very often, but when they do these girls step up.”

Harlingen Cardinal pitcher Jozalin Bravo (21) pitches the ball Tuesday evening against San Benito Lady Greyhounds. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

Harlingen High swept the first round of district with the win. A victory on Friday against Brownsville Veterans would help the Cardinals’ cause even more so. Harlingen High has not won a district title since 2009, Ledesma said.

The Cardinals have an eye on the title, but they are focused on becoming healthy. They have a couple of injuries Ledesma added and they want those players back for a post-season run.

“We have to pick up momentum going into the playoffs,” Ledesma said. “That is the main thing these girls have been harping on. Crosstown there is a team that went to state last year and we just want to match the energy. These girls have been working hard.”

Harlingen High takes on Brownsville Veterans at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Harlingen. San Benito looks to bounce back against Hanna at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Brownsville.

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