Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
LAS VEGAS — After beating three nationally ranked teams in its season opening tournament last week, St. Mary's Softball pegged down another, this time marking a statement win over the No. 1 defending national champions, Central Oklahoma.
The Rattlers stumped No. 1 Central Oklahoma 7-2 Friday, kicking off the Desert Stinger in a homerun galore.
Their schedule nearly showed them knocking down another nationally ranked team as the Rattlers fell just short against No. 8 West Texas A&M in their second game of the Desert Stinger, falling 6-5 in nine innings.
Three Rattlers homered in the upset victory over the No. 1 Bronchos with
Alex Rodriguez (Jr., Eagle Pass, Texas),
Amanda Villa (Jr., San Antonio) and
Nicole Sardelich (Jr., Angleton, Texas) all going yard in their first homers on the season. For Villa, it was also her first career homerun.
Sardelich led the way at the plate with three RBIs off three hits while Villa and
Laura Benavidez (Jr., Robstown, Texas) each recorded a pair of hits in the 10-hit victory.
All-American
Emily Brittain (Sr., Corpus Christi, Texas) recorded the win in four innings tossed with two earned runs and five strikeouts before
Vianna Gutierrez (Jr., San Antonio) took the mound for the first time this season to toss three innings and record seven strikeouts.
In the loss against West Texas A&M,
Haley Richter (Jr., Hondo, Texas) led with two hits and two RBIs and Benavidez recorded one RBI off a pair of hits. Gutierrez picked up the loss on the mound in extra innings after throwing four innings with five strikeouts.
Rattler Softball (4-3) continues the Desert Stinger hosted by Montana State Saturday with games against Colorado State-Pueblo at 4:30 p.m. and Western New Mexico at 7 p.m. in Las Vegas.
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.
