By PETE BANDA
Special to the NEWS
AUSTIN—Despite a valiant effort in its final game, the 2023 edition of the San Benito Lady ’Hound Varsity Softball Team saw its historic season come to an end in the State Semifinals in Austin last week. San Benito fell to the eventual State.
Champion Pearland Lady Oilers in a 3-2 battle that came down to the final at-bat. While the Lady ’Hounds were unable to bring home the first State championship of any kind in school history, their place among the elites in Texas was solidified during a season in which they broke several school and Valley records, including a staggering 39-6 record.
San Benito actually took an early lead in the one-game playoff with the Lady Oilers, taking a 1-0 advantage into the bottom of the third inning. With superstar sophomore Amira Rodriguez on the mound, the Oilers had trouble getting on base to start the game. A few uncharacteristic errors by the Lady ’Hounds led to a three-run explosion by Pearland in the fourth. The rest of the game was a defensive battle as San Benito managed only one more run over the next three innings.
“We fought hard till the very last at-bat and that’s all we as coaches can ask for at this point in the season,” said future RGV Sports Hall of Fame inductee and legendary Head Coach Elias Martinez. “The sacrifices that these girls made during the season are something that should be celebrated. We might have come up short of our ultimate goal, but this was a season for the record books and I’m so thankful for the community support we’ve had this year and really my entire career here.”
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