Box Score
AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 3 Rattlers baseball team clinched the series over rival St. Edward's Saturday, winning 5-2 to end the three-game series 2-1.
Pitcher
Matt McClain (So., San Antonio) strutted in his usual fashion, striking out eight for the fifth consecutive time to improve to 3-1 on the season. McClain scattered five hits in his seven innings, allowing one earned run for a 1.69 ERA on the year.
St. Mary's pounced when a routine fly that would have ended the second inning with the bases loaded turned into a three-run error by the No. 22 Hilltoppers' right fielder, giving the Rattlers a quick 3-0 lead. The Hilltoppers had a chance to get on the board in the fourth with an attempt to steal home on a passed ball, but McClain collided into the runner for an emphatic final out of the inning to keep St. Edward's scoreless.
Brandon Bates (Sr., Boerne, Texas) brought in his 18th RBI on the season in the top of the fifth with an RBI single, giving the Rattlers a sizable 4-0 lead. McClain was denied a shutout as the Hilltoppers scored off a wild pitch in seventh.
Mario Maldonado (So., Laredo, Texas) knocked the Rattlers' final run with an RBI single in the ninth.
St. Mary's 2-1 series with the Hilltoppers keeps it atop the conference standings as it holds the best overall record of 14-4 and league record of 12-3.
The Rattlers connected at the plate Saturday with nine hits with Bates, Maldonado and
Kyle Bumpas (Jr., El Paso, Texas) all enjoying a two-hit day.
As the Rattlers' main reliever, Bumpas has also been serving as the Rattlers' designated hitter, and served well against the Hilltoppers (10-7, 7-5 in conference).
Bumpas came away with five hits for the three-game series, bumping his batting average to .421 on the season.
“My job as a pitcher is to come in and be a competitor in high-pressure situations,” said Bumpas, who's throwing a 1.08 ERA this season. “So hitting is kind of the same thing; I'm just going up there in a pressure situation with runners on. I view it the same way as when I come in from the bullpen. Yea it's hitting, but I am comfortable in the situations I'm in.”
Fellow arm
Jonathan Perez (RS-Sr., San Antonio) had time away from the bullpen Saturday, pitching two innings for his fourth save on the season. The Hilltoppers were able to pick up another run in the bottom of the ninth with one out but Perez is the Rattler closer for good reason, striking out his next two batters to end the game.
The Rattlers return home for their next series, facing off against Texas A&M International starting with a doubleheader Friday at Wolff Stadium at 2 p.m.
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.
