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Box Score 2
ODESSA, Texas — St. Mary's
Vianna Gutierrez didn't need that much help at the plate in her complete-game shutout of Texas-Permian Basin on Friday.
But just in case, the Rattler ace/slugger decided to help her cause a bit.
Gutierrez, a junior from Taft High School in San Antonio, homered twice and doubled in four plate appearances, and also struck out seven in the No. 5-ranked Rattlers' 7-0 victory over UTPB.
In Game 2 of the doubleheader, Gutierrez doubled in her only official plate appearance — she was walked in her three other at-bats — as the Rattlers (35-4, 11-0 Heartland Conference) cruised to their 17
th straight win in a 7-1 triumph.
The winning streak ties the longest of head coach
Donna Fields' career, having won 17 in a row in both the 2003 and 2005 seasons (St. Mary's advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series both years). The school-record winning streak is 20, set in 1994 under
Jim Zeleznak. St. Mary's went 38-8 that season and finished fifth at the NAIA World Series.
With UTPB (6-24) pitching around Gutierrez in Game 2,
Nicole Sardelich and
Alex Rodriguez helped pick up the slack. Rodriguez blasted a three-run home run on a 2-for-2 day, while Sardelich doubled and went 3 for 4 at the plate with two runs scored.
Pitcher
Maricela Bissaro remained perfect on the season, improving to 7-0 after scattering four hits and one earned run.
Gutierrez, batting .490 on the season and boasting an 11-1 record in the circle, had four RBIs in the opener.
St. Mary's will wrap up the series at 11 a.m. Saturday.
