The Burges Mustangs will take on the Parkland Matadors in a tournament on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Burges had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They put the hurt on Coronado with a sharp 15-1 victory on Monday.
Annaliese Avina and Breann Mendoza were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Avina pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Meanwhile, Mendoza pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave Avina a new career-low in walks (zero). At the plate, Avina scored two runs while going 2-for-3, while Mendoza scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaitlyn Valdiviezo, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Valeria Sanchez, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Burges was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .571. The last time their batting average was this high was back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, Parkland took care of business in their home opener (and then some) on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand San Elizario a 10-0 shutout.
Like Burges, Parkland also got a great game from a two-way player: Samantha Martinez. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Martinez has posted since back in March of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off four doubles, four RBI, and two runs while going 4-for-4.
In other batting news, Devyn Rodriguez was a standout: she scored four runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in February of 2024. Stephanie Flores was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
Burges might still be hurting after the 9-1 loss they got from Parkland in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can Burges avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
