Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
SAN ANTONIO — After battling injuries and having to spend the off season reconditioning,
Taylor Vidrine joked after Saturday's doubleheader that she was worried if she still had a spot on a team full of new Rattlers.
The two-time All-Conference First Teamer won't be going anywhere any time soon.
Helping the Rattlers split the day on the opening day of the St. Mary's College Classic, Vidrine broke in the brand new Softball Stadium with the field's first Rattler homerun.
"It was icing on the cake," said Vidrine of her excitement of homering twice in the all-new softball stadium.
Vidrine's (Jr., San Antonio) solo shot put the Rattlers up over East Central in their season opener but the Tigers would battle back to win it, 5-2.
Vidrine would go yard again for the Rattlers, this time in the victory over No. 14 Texas Woman's to give St. Mary's its first win of the 2014 season, 4-2.
Maricela Bissaro (Sr., San Antonio) got the win on the mound over Texas Woman's, pitching a complete game with four hits and one earned run.
All-American ace
Emily Brittain (Sr., Corpus Christi, Texas) opened for the Rattlers on the hill Saturday, also pitching a complete game to record the loss against East Central.
Returning from a redshirt season,
Katie Nichols (RS-Sr., San Marcos, Texas) led the Rattlers at the plate with five hits over the two games while Vidrine led in RBIs with four.
Only two games into the season, Vidrine feels confident in the Rattlers' chemistry as a team and their potential this season.
"It's a good atmosphere this year," said Vidrine who had two hits on the day. "The freshmen have brought good attitudes in so I really see us going far. We still have the same leadership, the same drive and we're just more excited now to get in there and win. We want to go all the way."
Already making the new Softball Stadium look even better, Vidrine and the Rattlers continue on to day two of the St. Mary's College Classic Sunday when they face Southeastern Oklahoma at 4 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.
