The game quickly came down to which team would find their rhythm first and the Rattlers answered that question early in the first inning. The Rattlers’ offense quickly made their presence known, getting into scoring position after a walk and a double. Sergio “Cheko” Ibarra came through with a double, bringing in Tristan Vega for the first run of the game. Moments later, Luis “Bicho” Cienfuegos followed up with a single that scored Ibarra, giving the Rattlers an early 2-0 lead. The Rattlers offense continued to find success and that early advantage would prove difficult for the Diamondbacks to overcome.
The Diamondbacks did manage to put together a few promising scoring opportunities throughout the game, particularly in the second inning. Despite solid efforts from Martin Moreno and Ben Martinez, who had their team in scoring position, the Diamondbacks were unable to bring any runners home. The Rattlers pitching, led by ace Fabrizio Salinas, kept their opponents at bay and limited the Diamondbacks chances to capitalize.
The game continued into the third inning, and the Rattlers kept applying pressure to the Diamondbacks’ defense. Edgar Quintanilla started the rally with a single, followed by another double from Ibarra to bring Quintanilla home. Ibarra’s double was quickly followed by a hit from Cienfuegos, who doubled to bring Ibarra across the plate for the Rattlers fourth run of the game. The Rattlers weren’t done yet as a pop-up would bring Luis Balderas home for another run, making it 5-0. With that, the Rattlers had a commanding lead and though the Diamondbacks did eventually manage to escape that inning, they found themselves in a difficult position.
From that point forward, the Rattlers maintained control of the game in all areas. Their pitching and infielders were on point while their offense kept the Diamondbacks on their heels. Despite some promising comeback efforts from Diamondbacks’ players like Zerek Solis, Alexis Lopez, Ruben Lopez, Leland Villarreal, and Martin Moreno, the Rattlers defense stood strong and shut down every attempt the Diamondbacks had to mount a rally, securing the win.
After the game, Progress Times spoke with Fabrizio Salinas and Luis “Bicho” Cienfuegos to get their thoughts on the big win. Salinas, the Rattlers’ standout pitcher, shared his thoughts on the team’s performance, “It’s a team win at the end of the day. We played great. The defense was there. I have trust in my defense. My defense always has my back. The offense was amazing. We have some momentum and hopefully we can keep it up and continue to win.”
Salinas also emphasized the tough competition within the district, “The district is hard so we’re taking it one game at a time.”
Cienfuegos, who had a strong performance at the plate, expressed his excitement about the win and the team’s success at home, “It feels amazing. We’re at home and we want to win every game here.” Reflecting on the team’s early struggles this season, Cienfuegos pointed to the improvement they showed in this game, “We struggled a lot with our defense and with errors, but today was different because everyone put their part in this game and we came out with a win.”
This victory propelled the Rattlers into third place in the standings, surpassing the Diamondbacks, who dropped to fourth. The current standings in District 31-5A show the PSJA North Raiders leading with a strong 9-1 record, followed by the Rowe Warriors at 7-2, the Rattlers at 7-2, and the Diamondbacks at 7-4. Just outside of playoff contention are the Memorial Mustangs at 6-5, and the Vela Sabercats at 4-5.
The Rattlers win has made the race for the playoffs even tighter and with both teams battling for positioning, tonight’s rematch will be crucial for both squads. The Rattlers and Diamondbacks will meet again tonight in the second game of their district series, which will be played at Pioneer High School. First pitch is set for 7 p... Click here to read full article
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