(Seguin) – New Braunfels-Canyon snapped Seguin softball’s five-game winning streak in District 26-5A Tuesday night with a 12-2 run-rule win over the Matadors in six innings.
The loss drops Seguin to 8-5 in district play, 17-10 overall. The Matadors are tied with Boerne-Champion and Kerrville-Tivy for the fourth and final playoff seed with three games left on the schedule.
Seguin can move ahead of Champion in the standings and sweep the head-to-head series between the teams with a win over the Chargers on Thursday in Boerne.
The Matadors’ only runs against Canyon came in the fourth inning after the Cougarettes built a 9-0 lead. Layla Salazar walked to break up Canyon pitcher Bella Mitchell’s perfect game, Vanessa Sanchez singled to break up the no-hitter, and both players eventually scored on an error.
Haley Carmona relieved Mitchell in the fifth and kept Seguin scoreless and hitless the rest of the way.
Seguin head coach John Garcia credits Mitchell and Carmona for pitching efficiently on a night when his hitters didn’t adjust to the strike zone.
“I try to get that in the girls head,” Garcia said. “It’s not what you think is a ball or strike. It’s what the umpire is calling. We still have to get over that hurdle if we’re going to be an elite team like they are.”
Carmona also went 2-3 at the plate with a triple, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Harley Vestal hit a solo home run in the sixth. Eliza Santana and and Julie Sanders each drove in two runs for the Cougarettes.
Five of the 12 Canyon runs against Seguin starter Madyson Schultze were unearned as a result of six Seguin errors.
“You can’t play a team like that if you don’t come and play a complete game,” Garcia noted. “They’re going to get you, and they’re going to run-rule you every time when you play like that.”
Seguin looks to bounce back with a road win over Boerne-Champion (12-8-1, 8-5) on Thursday, a team the Matadors rallied to beat 7-6 in eight innings at home on March 17.
Thursday’s game will air live on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com. The first pitch is set for 7 p.m. Pre-game coverage starts at 6:50.