THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Odessa High School Athletics

It was evident early Friday evening that Miranda Martinez of Permian and Elva Castillo of Odessa High were going to factor in the outcome for the regular-season finale for both teams. The senior right-handers have been the backbones of their respective teams for the past two seasons and on this night, neither were going to give an inch from the circle. So it was only appropriate with the game on the line in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Martinez in the circle, that Castillo was the one stepping into the batter’s box for the Lady Bronchos. After taking a called strike, Castillo reached out and drove the next offering from Martinez the opposite way over the right-center field fence to generate all the scoring in Odessa High’s 2-0 victory against the Lady Panthers in District 2-6A play at the Ratliff Softball Complex. “I was just worrying about my at bat,” said Castillo, a four-year member of the Odessa High softball team who was recognized with four other seniors before the game. “I just wanted to put the ball in play and was fortunate. Miranda was pitching well and I was pitching well and we both play on very good teams, so we knew it was going to come down to one chance.” The victory improved the Lady Bronchos to 21-6-1 overall, 7-3 in district play. They finished tied for second with Wolfforth Frenship, but earned the third seed as Frenship swept Odessa High in a pair of games this season. The Lady Bronchos will face El Paso Eastwood next week to open the Class 6A playoffs, with the site and time still to be determined. Permian (15-11, 5-5) earned the district’s fourth seed and will meet District 1-6A champion El Paso Coronado in the bi-district round. Both teams mustered just four hits and turned in fine defensive plays throughout the game to keep the other squad off the scoreboard. Permian’s best chance to score came in the fifth inning when it loaded the bases after back-to-back singles by Kelsi McCall and Monique Pando, followed by a one-out walk to Hannah Banker. That brought Martinez to the plate and Castillo got her to hit a one-hopper back to the circle that the Lady Bronchos turned into a pitcher-to-catcher-to-first double play to get out of the inning. “That was a nice play and then we were able to turn a double play the next inning, on the line drive,” Odessa High coach Rachel Pena said. “I thought Elva pitched great; I thought Miranda pitched great and you knew that it was going to come down to one hit or a mistake because both teams were playing well. “These are always tough games because the players all know each other and it gets very exciting. It was nice to win.” Martinez, also playing her final regular-season game at the Ratliff Softball Complex, showed why the Lady Panthers will be a force in the postseason, striking out seven in six innings of work, allowing just three singles other than Castillo’s line-drive home run. In spite of the loss, Permian coach Kristin Williams liked what she saw from her team on the night. “I thought defensively we played real well behind Miranda,” she said. “We made all the plays. “It’s always going to be one pitch in this kind of ballpark and you have to give it to Elva. She threw hard and had a good hit, and on her senior night, to it was good timing for her.”

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Odessa High School Athletics

CASTILLO SUPPLIES TWO-RUN HOME RUN IN WIN

LEE SCHEIDE

OA Online | 4/21/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Sterkel