Box Score
SAN ANTONIO — Rattler Baseball performed another thriller Friday night but this time ended up in the deficit as they fell to William Jewel College, 4-3.
It was just the fourth loss on the season for St. Mary's Baseball but second heartbreaker as it was the second time the Rattlers have lost by just one run as they fell to Rogers State 3-2 last weekend.
No. 5 St. Mary's (12-4) had one of its better games at the plate, smacking 10 hits in the Cardinals' season-opener with three Rattlers recording a multiple-hit game.
Rene Solis (Sr., San Antonio) had a quality game, recording his first loss on the season to drop to 3-1.
After a strong Cardinal start that put up two runs in the second, Solis cooled the Cardinals quickly to retire 11 straight that included fanning three in the fourth.
WJC reignited in the sixth with two outs however, tacking on two more runs that would seal its first season victory.
Solis tossed seven innings for six strikeouts, picking up three earned runs.
Pitching in relief,
Rick Villa (RS-Sr., San Antonio) pitched a phenomenal two innings to keep the Rattlers' hopes alive as he retired six batters straight while fanning half.
The Rattlers were able to capture the lead, 3-2, after a big, four-hit fifth inning that produced two runs but were unable to produce a run in their last four at-bats for the tough loss that saw nine Rattlers left on base.
Scott Jones (Jr., College Station, Texas),
Drake Roberts (Jr., Brenham, Texas) and
Keith Funk (RS-So., San Antonio) all recorded two hits against the Cardinals while
Mario Maldonado (Jr., Laredo, Texas),
Brooks Orton (Jr., Cedar City, Utah) and
Joe Hermsen (Jr., Overland Park, Kan.) recorded the night's RBIs.
The Rattlers will faceoff with the Cardinals again at 3 p.m. Saturday at Dickson Stadium. They will end the series at 1 p.m. Sunday.
