Lady Hawks and Lady Panthers find the final four
5/31 Edit: The Harlingen South Hawks defeated the Aledo Bearcats 1-0 on Friday and will move onto the state championship Saturday.
The Harlingen South Lady Hawks and the Weslaco Lady Panthers softball teams began their seasons in early February. Both the Lady Hawks and Lady Panthers coasted through the first month defeating team after team in their non-district games and tournaments to prepare themselves for a district title run. It’s been four months since and their seasons aren’t over.
Harlingen South Hawks (35-4) vs. Aledo Bearcats (35-3)
Photo courtesy Harlingen CISD
The Harlingen South Hawks represent District 32-5A. This district includes some heavy hitting teams such as the Lopez Lobos, Mercedes Tigers, Weslaco East Wildcats, and the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers. Despite facing tough competition, the Hawks came out on top in this district with an undefeated record of 18-0. They ultimately won the district’s championship in commanding fashion.
Throughout the 18 regular season games, this Hawks team only gave up eight runs while scoring 222 runs. In total, their opponents scored on average 2.25 runs per game while the Hawks put up on average 12.3 runs per game. Their elite defense combined with their impeccable offense has allowed them to soar to new heights this season.
The duo of junior pitchers Lexi Sandoval and Amira Rodriguez mound the circle for the Hawks. Sandoval leads the way for the Hawks. In 117 innings pitched, Sandoval has recorded 186 Ks, a 1.79 ERA, a 0.242 OBPA, and 20 wins, which is ranked 21st in the State of Texas. In 65 innings pitched, Rodriguez recorded 106 Ks and a 0.266 OBPA.
The Lady Hawks fielding is as clean as any. Senior catcher Haley Vasquez leads the team with 337 put outs to go along with her 0.983 fielding percentage. The entire team has an average fielding percentage of 0.964 with the help of Vasquez, senior Yezenia Perez, sophomore Jaylin Mata, sophomore Lauren Gonzalez, and senior Emily Ruiz.
The Hawks’ offense is on a whole other level. Amira Rodriguez not only gets it done on defense as a pitcher, but on offense as a batter. Rodriguez has put up a total of 73 RBIs (9th in nation) with a batting average of .574. Yezenia Perez has recorded 64 RBIs (12th in Texas), 20 HRs (12th in Nation), 68 runs (21st in Nation) with a batting average of .473. The team’s average batting percentage of .412 is supplemented by Rodriguez, Perez, Sandoval, Ruiz, Mata, sophomore Kera Jensen, and junior Kailee Silva, who help round out the rest of the batting order.
The Hawks went on to be Bi-district champions against the Vela Sabercats, Area champions against the Victoria East Titans, Regional Quarterfinal champions against the Carroll Tigers, Regional Semifinal champions against the Leander Lions, and Regional Final champion against the Liberty Hill Panthers. This takes us to their next task; the 35-3 Aledo Bearcats.
As for the Bearcats, they went undefeated in their district with a 12-0 record and have gone on to be undefeated against every opponent they’ve faced in the playoffs. Their last official loss was back in early February against the #2 ranked team in the state. To make this simple, this team is scary. The Bearcats defense is backed by an elite pitching duo and a number of fielders who can get it done. Their offense isn’t as heavy hitting as most teams especially in comparison to the Hawks, but on any given day, this Bearcats team can and will show up.
This will truly be a matchup that will push these two teams to the limits. Both of these teams have proved why they are in the position they are in. We are sure to get the very best from both the Harlingen South Hawks and the Aledo Bearcats.
This single elimination game will be taking place today at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas at 1 PM. We wish both of these teams the best of luck and the safest of travels. The winner of this game will advance to the State Finals tomorrow at 4 pm at the same location. Let’s go Hawks!
Weslaco Panthers (35-6) vs. Guyer Wildcats (37-4)
Photo courtesy Weslaco High School
The Weslaco Panthers represent District 32-6A. The Panthers dominated this district with an undefeated 10-0 record. Their only losses throughout the season come from non-district tournaments and playoff games. All of their losses were within four runs, some even coming down to one run difference.
In their 10 district games, they allowed only eight runs to be scored against them to their 129 runs scored. Their opponents scored on average 0.8 runs per game as the Panthers would score on average 12.2 runs per game. With a 1:12 ratio, there was no doubt that this team was going to do amazing things once the playoffs came around.
The Panthers can shut down any opponent with their pitching and fielding. Madelyn Cantu commands the circle for the Panthers. In 175 innings pitched, Cantu recorded 28 wins, 180 Ks, a 1.873 ERA, and a 0.243 OBPA. This defense doesn’t give up when the ball is in the air or on the ground. Elizabeth Craig, Mia Rodriguez, Romy Nunez, Clarissa Mejia, and Ema Galvan have contributed heavily to the elite defense that the Panthers have. Craig leads the team with 145 putouts, followed by Nunez with 128, Rodriguez, with 67, Mejia with 43, and Galvan with 37. This team’s average fielding percentage is a near perfect 0.960 thanks to help from them and many more on the team filled with playmakers.
One thing about this Panthers team is that they know how to get on base. Five of their top hitters have an OBP of .500 or higher. Mia Rodriguez, leads the team with her .593 batting average, followed by Clarissa Mejia with .534, Dayla Hinojosa with .519, Lola Reyes with .516, and Romy Nunez with .500. The team’s total average OBP is at .495. All five of these girls lead the Panthers in hits along with Elizabeth Craig and Alexis Soliz, who help round out the rest of the batting order for the Panthers.
Following district play, the Panthers went on to be Bi-district champions against the Mission Eagles, Area champions against the Holmes Huskies, Regional Quarterfinal champions against the La Joya Coyotes, Regional Semifinal champions against the Lake Travis Cavaliers, and Regional Final champions against the Brennan Bears. The combination of the Panthers workhorse pitcher who’s done an amazing job striking out batters, the elite fielders getting putouts, and the batting that seems to only get better with time has led the Panthers to a historic playoff run.
To say that their next matchup is going to be a tough task is an understatement. They’ll have to go up against the #1 ranked team in Texas, the Guyer Wildcats. Last year, the Lady Wildcats were one game away from winning the state championship. This team is led by a tremendous pitcher who has been able to take her team to the top. This team isn’t perfect though. They’ve had a couple of hiccups in the playoffs, but have been able to turn it around quickly. The Panthers will certainly have their work cut out for them, but in the past we’ve seen them capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes. This matchup between these two teams will bring the best out of all players on both sides.
This single elimination game will be taking place today at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas at 4 pm. The winner of this game will advance to the State Finals tomorrow at 4 pm at the same location. Let’s go Panthers!
What a treat it is to have two of the final four teams left from the Rio Grande Valley. This year for softball has been truly remarkable and it’s because of teams like this who continue to work hard and push themselves to be the best. Kudos to the Aledo Bearcats and Guyer Wildcats for advancing to the final four and congratulations to the Harlingen South Hawks and the Weslaco Panthers for representing the RGV in the final four. Good luck teams!