Box Score
SAN ANTONIO — St. Mary's picks up its fourth straight victory with a standout showing on the mound and plate against Tarleton State, winning 4-1 Tuesday.
Several Rattlers had their time to shine at Wolff Stadium Tuesday, with this week's conference Hitter of the Week
Brandon Bates (Sr., Boerne, Texas) lighting up for three RBIs and second baseman
Mario Maldonado (So., Laredo, Texas) getting his first collegiate appearance on the mound.
No. 11 St. Mary's (9-3, 7-2 in conference) pelted 10 hits throughout the contest with the meat of the lineup — Bates,
Derek Moczygemba (Sr., Bulverde, Texas) and Maldonado — all recording two hits apiece. The trio currently represents the Rattlers' top three hitters in batting average, with all hitting above .400 on the season.
Moczygemba had a quality start for the Rattlers, keeping the Texans (3-4-1) hitless until the fourth inning and allowing just two hits on the day. The lefty, who also played first base and left field after six innings on the mound, picked up his first win on the season for a 1-0 record and improved his ERA to 1.56.
All-Conference second baseman Maldonado stepped on the mound for the first time in his Rattler career, pitching one inning in relief, warming up for a possible season that has another Rattler added to the regular pitching rotation.
Kyle Bumpas (Jr., El Paso, Texas) also pitched an inning in relief, keeping the Texans at bay for
Jonathan Perez's (RS-Sr., San Antonio) eighth appearance on the season.
Recording his third save on the season Tuesday, Perez is just eight saves away from tying the Division II record for most career saves at 32.
“Saves are definitely hard to come by and I'm just happy I got this one,” said Perez, who already holds the record for St. Mary's for most career saves and season saves.
Perez sent his first two batters down swinging in the top of the ninth, with his third batter snaking a hit to left field to later get caught stealing for an emphatic end to the ballgame, as catcher
Scott Slusher (Sr., Grapevine, Texas) recorded his fifth caught-stealing/pickoff of the season.
So far this season, Perez has picked up a pair of wins in addition to his three saves, proving his versatility in late-game situations.
“I still have the same mentality just coming late in the game and try to do my part,” says Perez, an All-Region selection last year who has yet to allow an earned run this season. “It does make a difference because coming in to tie ballgames you never know how many innings you're going to pitch. But my approach and everything has stayed the same.”
The Rattlers will hope to keep their current win streak alive in their next conference game against Oklahoma Panhandle State University. St. Mary's will start its doubleheader against OPSU at 2 p.m. Friday at Wolff Stadium.
St. Mary's University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men's basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men's golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men's golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary's also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary's student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.rattlerathletics.com.
