Trio of Valley softball teams set for Sweet 16

3 days ago 26

Bryan Ramos

Three Rio Grande Valley high school softball teams are still dancing as they prepare to compete this week in the regional semifinal round of the state playoffs, also known as the Sweet 16.

The trio features one squad with plenty of postseason experience under its belt and two teams in the midst of historic playoff runs.

Visit RGVSports.com to see the complete regional semifinal playoff schedule and scores updated throughout the weekend.

CLASS 6A DII

PSJA HIGH BEARS

The Bears are rewriting the record brooks this season after powering their way into the regional semifinal round of the playoffs for the first time in program history.

The Bears (25-3) are now set to collide against Round Rock Cedar Ridge (22-4) in a Region IV-6A DII semifinal series today through Saturday.

The best-of-three series gets underway with Game 1 at 7:30 p.m. today at Sinton High School. Game 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Sinton. Game 3, if necessary, will be played at 11 a.m. Saturday at Sinton.

Cedar Ridge (22-4) finished the regular season as District 25-5A champs and swept Austin Bowie and San Antonio Harlan in Rounds 1 and 2 to earn their spot in the regional semis.

PSJA High, meanwhile, has lost three games all year — two against defending Class 6A state champion Weslaco High, and Game 1 of its best-of-three area-round series against Cibolo-Steele last weekend.

The Bears battled back against Cibolo-Steele to take Game 2 3-1, and Game 3 9-4 to win the series and advance to the regional semis under the direction of first-year head coach Alyssa Garza.

PSJA High has been dominant at the plate all year long, with every member of its starting nine holding a batting average north of .400.

Senior pitcher Arieanna Hernandez is batting .582 with 32 hits, 22 RBIs, 26 runs scored, and holds an 11-2 record in the circle with a 2.52 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings.

Fellow seniors Alexa Avila (.452 BA, 11 RBIs), Alyssa Flores (.608 BA, 22 RBIs), Azul Rios (.412 BA, 15 RBIs) and Adlemi Rodriguez (.489 BA, 24 RBIs) have played steady all season.

Junior Kaylie Lopez is hitting .434 with 16 RBIs, and Amerie Vega is batting .415 with 10 RBIs. Sophomore Arianna Lugo leads the Bears with a .734 batting average, 47 hits, 40 RBIs and seven home runs, and sophomore Aubrey Garza is batting .548 with 34 hits, 39 runs scored, 27 RBIs and eight home runs.

CLASS 5A DI

HARLINGEN SOUTH HAWKS

The 2024 Class 5A state runner-up Hawks are soaring once again as they look to replicate last year’s historic trip to the championship game.

In order to get there, however, Harlingen South (22-6) will have to get past Smithson Valley (22-1) this week in a best-of-three Region IV-5A DI semifinal series.

Game 1 of the series is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Corpus Christi London High School in Corpus Christi. Game 2 is set for noon Saturday at Corpus Christi London, with Game 3 to follow 30 minutes after, if necessary.

Smithson Valley has won 20 straight games and is coming off sweeps of Buda Hays in Round 1 and South San Antonio in Round 2.

The District 32-5A champion Hawks will be out to stop that streak while earning their spot in Elite Eight for the second-straight season under head coach Jose Rios.

Harlingen South opened the playoffs with a sweep against Edinburg Vela before grinding out a three-game series win over Corpus Christi Flour Bluff in last week’s area round.

In Game 3 against Flour Bluff, the Hawks fell in an early 5-1 hole after 1 1/2 innings before surging back with an eight-run second. They went on to win 12-7 to take the series.

South’s senior pitching duo of Lexi Sandoval and Kailee Silva has been lights out to lead the Hawks. Sandoval holds a 12-0 record with a 0.99 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 78 innings. Silva has gone 6-1 with a 2.62 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings.

With standout senior and Washington signee Amira Rodriguez sidelined due to injury, junior Jaylin Mata has stepped up as South’s best bat with a .487 average, 38 hits, 39 runs, 26 RBIs and four home runs. Sandoval also has been just as effective at the plate with a .466 average, 34 hits, 31 runs, 25 RBIs and four home runs. Silva is hitting .365 with 31 hits and a team-high 29 RBIs and six home runs, and junior Kara Jensen is batting .397 with 19 RBIs.

CLASS 5A DII

RIO GRANDE CITY RATTLERS

The Rio Grande City Rattlers have been red-hot this season and enter the regional semifinals for the first time in program history riding a 20-game winning streak.

The Rattlers (23-4) will be out to to keep their run alive as they take on Liberty Hill (25-6) in a one-game playoff in the Region IV-5A DII semifinal round.

The playoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Beeville High School, with the winner advancing to next week’s regional final.

This year’s group of Rattlers are no strangers to playing in do-or-die situations, and they’ll have to be on point again against Liberty Hill.

Liberty Hill defeated San Antonio Veterans in three games, then swept San Antonio McCollum.

Rio Grande City, meanwhile, already has won a pair of one-game playoffs this postseason as head coach Roque Cortinas and the Rattlers have gotten the job done with one-run wins both times.

In Round 1, it was a walkoff during the bottom of the seventh that lifted the Rattlers to a 3-2 win over Gregory-Portland. In Round 2, RGC held off a late rally from Mercedes for a 4-3 win to punch its ticket into Round 3.

Junior Jorja Fuentes made the move from shortstop to pitcher this season and has been a force with a 17-1 record and a 1.03 ERA with 14 walks and 168 strikeouts in 109 innings. She’s also batting a team-high .560 with 42 hits, 36 RBIs and 32 runs scored.

Senior Anjolina Zurita (.403 BA, 36 runs), sophomore Zizel Gonzalez (.444 BA, 20 RBIs), junior Jennelle Gonzalez (.409 BA, 13 RBIs) and freshman Dayana Lazos (.426 BA, 33 runs) have helped lead the way offensively.