By Rey Sifuentes Jr.
Eagle Pass High School’s varsity softball team had several players recently picked for the All-District 29-5A team.
Sandra Mendoza (junior, pitcher) was voted as the district’s Most Valuable Player.
Named to the first all-district team were Krystal De La Cruz (sophomore, pitcher), Samantha Fuentes (junior, first baseman), Jessica Garcia (senior, second baseman), Monica Flores (junior, outfielder), and Dariela Velasquez (sophomore, designated player).
Making the second all-district team were Keanna Pearson (senior, third baseman), and Krystal Perez (junior, outfielder).
Receiving Honorable Mention were Samantha De Leon (senior), Nina Flores (freshman), and Melanie Mendoza (freshman).
“All of these girls did a great job for us this season,” Head Coach Oscar Ruiz said on Tuesday.
The Lady Eagles compiled an overall record of 28 and 7 this past season, and won their fourth consecutive District 29-5A title with an 11-1 league record.
EPHS swept Edinburg-Vela in the bi-district round of the playoffs in two games, then ousted Brownsville Porter in two straight in the area round.
The Lady Eagles were then thrown a huge curve in what was supposed to be a best of three games Region IV playoff series against San Benito.
Both teams met in Laredo for game one on Friday (May 10) but that encounter was halted - with San Benito leading 2-0 - because of heavy rain.
The game’s chief umpire declared the score final later that night, while Ruiz disputed the decision.
Both teams were ordered to return to Laredo for game two the following day, but were told (upon arrival) that their three-game series had been reduced to one - requiring them to finish out the remaining one and a third inning left over from Friday’s contest. San Benito held on to win 2-0 and advanced.
EPISD brass filed an injunction again the University Interscholastic League midway through last week, but the complaint was dismissed by a court in Austin (Travis County) on Friday – and the Lady Eagles’ season officially ended there.
Nonetheless, the Lady Eagles are losing less than a handful of this past season’s roster – meaning they will again be a force to contend with in 2014.
“All of the experience that we should have coming back next year will be invaluable,” Ruiz said on Tuesday. “We have a great group of girls who are going to be ready to go next season.”
And with the annual all-district selection meeting usually being held at the campus of the 29-5A champ, Ruiz is more than happy to continue welcoming his conference opponents into town.
“We have hosted that meeting here in Eagle Pass for the past four years,” Ruiz said. “And I am looking forward to continue hosting it for the next few years.”
(Rey Sifuentes Jr. is the sports editor of the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune which is located in East Texas. He is also a 1992 graduate of Eagle Pass High School. Sifuentes can be reached on Facebook and at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also follow him through Twitter at @eaglesmavericks.)