(Sharyland, Texas)-In Game One of the Class 5A Region IV Area Softball finals, La Joya Palmview senior pitcher Ariana Alaniz (24-4) struck out 14 Sharyland Pioneer batters as the Lady Lobos exploded for five runs in the top of the 5th inning to defeat the Lady D’Backs 5-1 tonight. Alaniz now has 397 strikeouts and leads the nation. She finished the game striking out three batters in a row. “I’m so proud of our team and how we came together,” says Palmview head softball coach, Jessica Cardenas-Russell. “Ariana started off slow but she came back with a great performance tonight.”
With the win, the Lady Lobos will be looking for its first UIL State 5A Region IV Softball Area title on Friday in Game Two at home. Game is set for 6:00pm. The winner will meet Corpus Christi Veterans or Brownsville Lopez in the regional quarterfinals.
In other games, 31-6A La Joya (23-4) pitcher Arlette Hernandez struck out twenty batters as they defeated 29-6A San Antonio Harlan (23-7) in Game One of the Best of Three series on Thursday night. The Lady Coyotes will play Game Two tonight in San Antonio. The winner will play Weslaco or San Antonio Holmes in the regional quarterfinals. (HSSMImages)
Game Two! The La Joya Palmview Lady Lobos will be looking for its first-ever 5A Area Softball title in school history. (HSSMIMages)