Box Score
SAN ANTONIO — The St. Mary's softball team closed out the St. Mary's College Softball Classic on Super Bowl Sunday, splitting a pair of games to finish the season-opening tournament with a 3-2 record.
The Rattlers eased their way to an 8-3 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State in the morning before falling, 4-2, to East Central in the tournament's final game at the SAISD Sports Complex.
St. Mary's third baseman
Nicole Sardelich (So., Angleton, Texas) and catcher
Christina Rodriguez (Sr., San Antonio) both were named to the All-Tournament Team, with the Most Valuable Player award going to Angelo State's Morgan Spearman.
No. 4 Angelo State went 5-0 in the tournament, with Spearman blasting a pair of home runs, including a grand slam Sunday, to go along with 10 RBIs.
Sardelich led the Rattlers with a .533 average on eight hits with three doubles, while Rodriguez recorded seven RBIs and a pair of home runs in the tournament.
Fitting for Super Bowl Sunday, the Rattlers turned in a play fit for the big stage in their victory over the Savage Storm.
Starting pitcher
Emily Brittain (Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas) kicked a groundball up into the air, which Sardelich retried in midair and fired to first base for an out.
It was that kind of game for the Rattlers, who were led by Rodriguez's three RBIs. Left fielder Alex Garcia (Sr., San Antonio) drove in two more runs, while Brittain picked up the win to improve to 2-0 after pitching 3 2/3 innings in relief of starter
Maricela Bissaro (Jr., San Antonio).
St. Mary's couldn't keep its momentum going against East Central, however, as the red-hot bats cooled off after taking a 1-0 lead in the first.
The Tigers struck for two runs in the second and again pulled ahead after St. Mary's evened the score at 2-2 in the fifth, scoring twice in the sixth to set up the 4-2 win.
Taylor Vidrine (So., San Antonio) and
Vianna Gutierrez (So., San Antonio) each had an RBI, while Gutierrez was tagged for the loss after pitching six innings. She struck out three in the game.
St. Mary's will be back in action Wednesday, hosting Incarnate Word in a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. Northside ISD Field. Live stats and video will be available at RattlerAthletics.com.
Full All-Tournament Team:
INF: Brianna Bozon, St. Edward's (.429 average with five RBIs, two doubles)
INF: Whitney Hamilton, Southeastern Oklahoma State (Seven RBIs, one HR, one double)
INF: Kristen LaBuhn, Texas A&M International (Nine RBIs, two home runs, one grand slam)
INF:
Nicole Sardelich, St. Mary's (533 average on eight hits, with three doubles)
OF: Maddie McGarity, Angelo State (.462 average, six hits, four runs scored)
OF: McKenzie Clemmons, Lubbock Christian (Eight hits with .421 average, four RBIs, five runs scored)
OF: Lauren Smith, Angelo State (.357 average, four RBIs, five RBIs)
C: Gina Mengwasser, East Central (10 RBIs, two home runs, .333 average)
P: Emily Mayfield, St. Edward's (4-0 with 10 strikeouts and 1.38 ERA)
P: Sandra Serna, Angelo State (3-0 record with 0.54 ERA, nine strikeouts)
P: Briana Sanchez, Incarnate Word (2-0 with 10 strikeouts and 0.82 ERA)
DH: Courtney Vroman, Tarleton State (Walk-off homer vs. UTPB; Six RBIs, two HRs, .429 average)
UT:
Christina Rodriguez, St. Mary's (Seven RBIs, two home runs with .385 average)
MVP: Morgan Spearman, Angelo State (10 RBIs, two home runs, one grand slam, .412 average)
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.
