Box Score
KINGSVILLE, Texas — As the Rattlers settled in on stage for their post-game press conference Saturday, a tune could be heard in the background from the loudspeakers at Nolan Ryan Field.
It was, as if hand-picked for the moment, Journey's “Don't Stop Believin'.”
The Rattlers certainly didn't.
St. Mary's
Jan Paul Reguero came off the bench Saturday to produce a pinch-hit, walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning for an epic, 7-6 victory over Angelo State.
The victory, which saw St. Mary's erase a 6-4 deficit in the 11th, sends the defending regional-champion Rattlers (39-16) to the championship round at the NCAA Division II South Central Regionals, where they will face St. Edward's at 1 p.m. Sunday. The winner will advance to play Texas A&M-Kingsville on its home field in the championship game at 4:30 p.m.
“I was just looking for something to hit up the middle,” Reguero (RS-Fr., Aquadilla, Puerto Rico) said. “I pulled it a little bit, but it got down for a hit. That's what counts.”
With their backs against the wall numerous times, the Rattlers scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to erase a three-run deficit and send it to extra innings all knotted up at 4-4.
Then, down again after ASU struck with two runs in the top of the 11th,
Ivan Sigala (Sr., El Paso, Texas) blasted a two-run shot with two away in the bottom of the inning to tie things up again at 6-6.
“I'm coming out and hitting this ball hard,” Sigala recalled thinking of his first home run of the season. “I just hit it out.”
Closer
Jonathan Perez (Sr., San Antonio) picked up the win after pitching a gritty — and much-needed — 5 1/3 innings in relief. Not only did he keep his Rattlers in the game, but Perez also kept the rest of the team's bullpen intact for the remainder of the season.
Perez struck out four and scattered four hits to improve to 7-2 on the season.
Derek Moczygemba (Sr., Bulverde, Texas) and
Brandon Bates (Sr., Boerne, Texas) led the Rattlers with two hits apiece at the plate.
Afterward, head coach
Charlie Migl beamed with pride when praising his no-quit squad.
“I just consider them champions,” he said.
There's a tune for that, too — one the Rattlers hope to hear late Sunday afternoon.
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.
