Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
SAN ANTONIO — A series against Oklahoma Christian refused to be canceled despite impending weather in Oklahoma City. It just shifted south — and the Rattlers came up big in the impromptu homestand.
The Rattlers took both games of Friday's doubleheader from the Eagles, 8-1 and 5-4, in a day filled with St. Mary's slamming at the plate. The Rattlers recorded 22 hits over the two victories in contests that also showcased the Rattlers' pitching staff.
Emily Brittain (Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas) picked up her 19th win in Game 1, tossing the compete game. Brittain struck out three while walking none.
Crystal Keller (Sr., LaCoste, Texas) dialed in the strike zone in Game 2, fanning nine to improve to 6-1 on the season. Keller also went the complete seven-inning game.
Taylor Vidrine (So., San Antonio) started off the day with a two-run homer — her seventh on the season — to put the Rattlers up 2-0 in the first. Vidrine would add her 17th stolen base to her stats in Game 1 and ended the opener with a team-high three RBIs and two hits.
“Whenever I come up to the plate I really want to do whatever I can to get on for my team,” said Vidrine, last week's Heartland Conference Hitter of the Week. “In any way that we can score.”
A seven-hit third inning, with six hits in a row, powered the victory as the Rattlers scored four to bump their lead to 6-0. The Eagles (18-19) scored one run in the fourth that was quickly quieted in the sixth with two more Rattler runs. Vidrine smacked in the final run on the day, scoring
Shelly Lee Zawadzki (Sr., San Antonio), who also scored the Rattlers' first run off Vidrine's blast.
Zawadzki went 3 for 3 in Game 1, including pelting an RBI-double. Vidrine and
Alex Rodriguez (So., Eagle Pass, Texas) had the only other multiple-hit Game 1 alongside Zawadzki with each recording two.
Game 2 saw another two-shot homer to lead off the game, this time from the Eagles that put them up 2-0 in the first. The Rattlers were able to contest, however, tying it by the second inning. The Rattlers gained the lead in the fourth, 4-2, but the Eagles made it a tie ballgame once more in the fifth, 4-4.
After a Vindrine double and a
Christina Rodriguez (Sr., San Antonio) walk in the sixth, Haley Ritcher (So., Hondo, Texas) lined one to third in a would-be easy out at third for Vidrine, but the speedy leftfielder slid under the tag to leave A. Rodriguez with bases loaded. A. Rodriguez was able to connect on an infield lob that had enough power to score Vidrine in what would be the winning run of the game.
Game 2 saw the same vivacity from Rattler bats with
Nicole Sardelich (So., Angleton, Texas) going 3 for 4, including her 20th double on the season, and Vidrine and Zawakzki recording two hits apiece.
The Rattlers improved to 33-12 after taking both games Friday, and although Oklahoma Christian is a provisional conference member, St. Mary's considers it an important series.
“We still have conference tournament coming up but we're really looking forward into regionals,” said Vidrine of the OC series that could boost their record further. “These games just keep us practicing for that. We want good competition and they're (the Eagles) great competition.
“When we have games like this it's really encouraging to know we can pull through as a team.”
St. Mary's completes the series with the Eagles at noon Saturday at the UTSA softball field.
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.
