Lady Badgers close out Lady Lions in extra inning walk-off; Coach Moreno earns career win 100
The score was tied at 2-2 when Lady Badger Evelyn Valadez stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning. She watched two pitches go by before she swung hard on a pitch that was in a “good spot.”
“I didn't even feel it jump off my bat; it was so smooth,” she recalled. "I didn't even look. I just heard everybody screaming and I was like, ‘yes.’”
Valadez hit a walk-off home run over the left field fence to secure a 2-3 win for Bishop as they defeated the No. 5 TGCA ranked Santa Gertrudis Academy Lady Lions on Tuesday night.
“We needed it - we needed this win tonight,” Valadez said. “It gives us a lot of hope as we move forward and it’s really going to help us grow more as a team.”
Lady Badger Head Coach Tito Moreno was “beyond excited” as he watched the ball fly over left field.
“We battled through adversity; it was a hell of a game (and) both teams didn't give an inch,” Moreno said. “Both teams just went at each other and being the rivals that we are nothing less is expected. So to come out on top in this game, you know, it's just a great feeling.”
Moreno also celebrated a milestone in his career thanks to the Badger victory, as he notched career win 100 in his head coaching career.
The Lady Badger pose in front of the scoreboard following their 2-3 victory over Santa Gertrudis Academy. (Photo by Frank Cardenas)
In the circle, Andrea Martinez handed out 15 strikeouts, while giving up only two runs on 12 hits and one walk to the Lady Lions.
SGA pitcher's Carissa De Los Santos and Jaci Salinas whiffed 13 batters combined, as they allowed seven hits and walked two batters on the night.
The Lady Badgers traded blows with the Lady Lions throughout the contest, as both teams refused to give up any sort of breathing room on the scoreboard.
SGA crossed the plate in the first inning thanks to Preciousa Silguero’s double into center field that scored Alana Benitez.
In the bottom half of the frame, the Lady Badgers returned fire when Kieara Cruz hit a two-bagger of her own, which brought in Andrea Martinez to tie up the score, 1-1.
The game remained at a standstill for an inning as both SGA’s Salinas, and Bishop’s Martinez saw only four batters in the second.
In the third, Martinez hit a ground ball that allowed Hannah Griffith to cross the plate from third, putting the Lady Badgers up, 1-2.
Two frames later, Silguero’s second double of the game sent Julia Guerrero to the dish for SGA, which tied the game at two apiece.
From the sixth to the final frame, both team’s stranded a combined seven runners on the bases before the Valadez home run in the bottom half of the ninth clinched the win for the Badgers.
The Lady Badgers are on a five game winning streak and sit with a perfect 3-0 record in District 30-3A play, while SGA now has a district record of 3-1.
Next up, the Lady Lions take on Hebbronville on the road on Friday, with a game time of 7 p.m.
The Lady Badgers will look to continue their hot streak as they head to Falfurrias, also on Friday, for another district matchup at 7 p.m.