Coming up clutch: Maddie Aguilar game-winning single pushes Veterans Memorial to win

KINGSVILLE — Veterans Memorial's prolific offense clashed with one of the region's best pitchers on Friday in a one-game playoff at Texas A&M-Kingsville in the Class 5A softball regional quarterfinals.

While La Joya Palmview's Arianna Alaniz, a Texas A&M-Kingsville commit, lived up to the billing as one of the best strikeout pitchers in the country, Veterans Memorial's Meredith Cavazos matched her for seven innings, giving her team a chance in the bottom of the seventh.

Given a runner in scoring position, Maddie Aguilar made her lone hit of the game count, dropping a well-placed bloop single into shallow right field, allowing the lead runner to score from second to produce a thrilling 1-0 win to send Veterans Memorial to the regional semifinals for the first time.

Using her defense

Cavazos and the Eagles set down the last 19 batters of the game and thanks to a fortuitous first inning double play, the Veterans Memorial hurler faced the minimum in the game.

Third baseman Alina Flores made a stab on a screaming liner and starting the twin killing, which Veterans Memorial coach Paula Salinas said settled in her pitcher.

"That really helped her settle in," Salinas said. "She saw that her defense has got her. Every time we were in the dugout we could hear the girls saying 'Hey, we are OK. We will make plays for you.' That settled her in and that is why she was able to do what she did today."

Cavazos threw a one-hitter with four strikeouts and coasted until the seventh inning when left fielder Desi Garcia and second baseman Parker Malone made spectacular catches in foul territory to help set down the Lobos.

"I'm so fortunate to have an amazing defense behind me," Cavazos said. "It is easy for me to do my job, so they can do their job. That start was the best tone-setter you could ask for. That has been very consistent on our team and something we emphasize."

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Timing up Alaniz

The Javelinas softball commit came into the contest with 413 strikeouts in 182 1/3 innings for the Lobos and struck out four of the first five batters, but from there the Eagles only struck out twice and continually made Palmview make plays for their stellar pitcher.

Veterans Memorial appeared on the verge of breaking through in the fifth inning after a leadoff walk and bunt, but the Eagles were caught trying to take two bags on the sacrifice before the seventh inning heroics.

Cleanup hitter Alyssa Burdge drew a leadoff walk and move to second on a steal, setting up Aguilar, who came through with contact on a ball that dropped in the perfect vacated spot in shallow right.

"I was trying to make everything quiet, mute and silence everything out," Aguilar said. "I focused on putting bat to ball, and that is all I did. It was amazing (to see it drop) and know that we made history and we are going to Round 4, continue our season and try to win out."

Making History

Already the first district championship team in Veterans Memorial school history, the Eagles moved to the regional semifinals for the first time with the heartstopping win and credited having the right mindset and motivation this season.

"Last year we fell short," Cavazos said. "We didn't want that to happen this year. We are working for something different this year and it is something that we are all committed to."

"They said it from the very beginning when we started in the fall," Salinas said. "They are slowly starting to see what they can do when we play together. They bought in and this is what happen when your team buys in."

The Eagles will face the winner between Smithson Valley and Liberty Hill next week in the Class 5A regional semifinals.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Maddie Aguilar's game-winner sends Veterans Memorial to regional semis