Hondo Anvil Herald

Hondo starts league play with 2 wins

 

     The Hondo Owls got off to a 2-0 start in the District 28-3A baseball race. Starting on the road Friday, March 20, Hondo blistered Dilley, 17-0. On Tuesday, March 24, at Bridges Field, the Owls scored four times in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead, beating Crystal City, 8-5.

     Hondo next will face the other 2-0 team in 28-3A, the Lytle Pirates. The game at Bridges Field starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 27. On Tuesday, March 31, the Owls (14-4-2) will visit Natalia.

     In Tuesday’s home win, the Owls broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the third, with four runs. Anthony Garza reached base on an infield single and Layton Pope was hit by a pitch. After Derek Elizondo’s sacrifice bunt, Josiah Quintanilla singled up the middle to bring in two runs. Following a walk for Mason Barr, Rudy Alvarado flied out to right, allowing Quintanilla to move to third. Barr stole second and Jaxson Williams followed with a two-run double to left.

     Hondo starter Joby Pimentel mowed down the first 11 Javelina batters to come to the plate, including nine by strikeout, but with two outs in the fourth, CC staged a four-run rally, including a two-run double on a ball that got lost in the twilight.

     The Javelinas took the lead in the top of the fifth, with a run on a sacrifice fly that turned into a double play, when the trailing runner was thrown out, 9-2-6, trying to take second.

     With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Alvarado reached base on an error and Williams walked. Pimentel singled over the second baseman, tying the game and putting runners at the corners. Jack Gruber hit a sacrifice fly to left, and Pimentel took second on the attempted throw home. Garza, who had come in to pitch, closing out the top of the fifth, hit an RBI single, and Pope hit a bouncer through the shortshop, allowing Garza to score the fourth run of the inning.

     The biggest drama came in the top of the sixth. With two on and two out, the Javelinas tried to score on a soft liner to right. Gruber came up throwing and pegged the runner at the plate. The ensuing high-speed collision with Elizondo got the CC runner ejected, but the Owls’ senior catcher had held onto the ball, getting his team out of the inning.

     Garza pitched the final 2- 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and four strikeouts to get the win.

     Things were a lot simpler in Friday’s blowout win at Dilley. Hondo scored six runs in the top of the first, five in the second and five in the fourth.

     Barr was 4-for-4, all singles, Alvarado was 3-for-3, while Pope and Elizondo each had two hits.

     Pimentel started on the mound, working three innings and getting the win, while Garza and Williams each pitched one inning of relief, before the run-rule kicked in. The ptichers combined on a two-hitter and struck out a total of 11 Dilley batters.