Softball: Raymondville vs Devine

[Ray_BearKat]

Does anyone one know where this game is going to be held at?

[mikecheck]

Mathis High School, Thursday at 7.

[Ray_BearKat]

Ready for revenge
Lady Kats face familar foes in Devine

By PAUL CONATZER
paulc@valleystar.com
956-430-6286

RAYMONDVILLE — Revenge might not be just the right word for what Raymondville seeks when they play Devine tonight in the area round of the Class 3A softball playoffs.

When the Lady Kats hit the diamond at 7 p.m. in Mathis, it’s much more than revenge they seek.

Devine has become something of a measuring stick for Raymondville, which has sailed through District 32-3A play going 31-1 the past three seasons and unbeaten in league play for the past two.

In 2003 and 2004, Devine proved to be a big bump in the road for the Lady Kats as the Arabians have knocked them out of the postseason. In 2003, Devine won 15-1 and last year it was 4-2.

The score doesn’t really matter to Raymondville coach Joe Ramos, the losses, however, do.

"In my gut, those losses burn bright," he said. "I feel the heat of those games."

Third baseman Denyssa Rodriguez knows the feeling and, like Ramos and the rest of the Lady Kats, she wants it to be different.

"We want it this year," she said. "We believe we can take it. We’ve been very focused."

There was an air of self-confidence about the Lady Kats as the coaching staff ran them through practice on Tuesday night. The Lady Kats are practicing at night so they can simulate game conditions as much as possible.

"They’ve got a great attitude," said Ramos. "They’re having fun, but they’re very focused. They know when it’s time to work."

All season long, this is the moment the Lady Kats have been working toward.

As a team, the Lady Kats know the second-straight unbeaten district title will burn less brightly if they fall to Devine again.

Even before the Lady Kats had clinched the district crown, playoff success was on their minds.

"Winning district isn’t our main goal," second baseman Jenna Buchanan said before the Lady Kats had captured the outright title. "We want to do better in the playoffs than we have done in the past."

But to do that, the Lady Kats are going to have to be on the top of their game.

Devine finished 12-10 this season and beat Aransas Pass, 9-0, in the bi-district round. The Lady Kats earned a bye as district champs.

And despite losing some of the players that beat Raymondville in the past two seasons, Ramos said the Arabians will be tough.

"They’ve got some good sticks and they can hit the ball. They’re fundamentally sound. It’s going to be a nailbiter," he said.

All season long, the Lady Kats have been fundamentally strong, too. With Rodriguez, Buchanan, shortstop Vicky Moya, catcher Lizzie Urbina and center fielder Denise Moreno and the rest of the Lady Kats picking it clean, opponents have had to earn their runs.

The winner of tonight’s game will get the winner of the Zapata and Goliad clash.

http://www.valleystar.com/images/uploads/LADYKATS50505.jpg
Raymondville left fielder Jessica Ramos runs toward a ball during practice Thursday evening as the Lady Bearkats prepare for their area-round playoff game against Devine tonight. The Lady Kats have been ousted from the playoffs by Devine the past two years.