Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WICHITA, Kan. — Friday's doubleheader saw two different St. Mary's University Rattler teams take the field against the Newman University Jets.
The No. 15-ranked Rattlers got off on the wrong foot in Game 1 as they struggled to hold back an explosive offensive effort from the Jets in a 7-1 loss.
After hitting a leadoff double in the first inning, Jr.
Brooks Orton, hitting .271 on the year, would come around to score and represent the lone run for the Rattlers. The Rattlers scattered six hits over seven innings in the defeat.
A switch flipped for the Rattlers as they took the field for Game 2, winning 14-4 in a seven-inning run-rule victory that saw the Rattlers blast three home runs and had
Nathan Humpal fall just a triple short of hitting for the cycle.
The teams were tied at zero going into the third when the Jets would put up three runs in the third on starting pitching
Rene Solis (10-2).
The Rattlers would gain ground by retaliating with two runs of their own. Solis gave up one more run in the fourth, before turning up the heat and throwing lights out for the final three innings.
Offensively the Rattlers went on a tear, starting with their two runs in the fourth that were spurred by a massive home run by senior
Nathan Humpal, who is hitting a team-best .356 on the season. St. Mary's would go on to put up six runs in the fifth behind five hits, one of which was a dead-center, two-run home run by junior
Drake Roberts, his second homer of the year.
In the sixth inning, the Rattlers tacked on anther five runs on the Jets with five more hits, including a three-run home run by redshirt-sophomore
Al Gonzalez.
With shutout defense, the Rattlers only needed one run in the seventh to nail down a run-rule victory. Orton started off the inning with a single to center field, advanced to second on a infield groundball and scored on a Humpal double to center field.
In total, the Rattlers combined for 17 hits, led by Humpal and Roberts and
Keith Funk, each with three apiece, and Orton, senior
Adrian Garcia, junior
Scott Jones and Gonzalez, all with two hits.
The Rattlers will finish up the series with Jets Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. Junior
Matt McClain will take the mound in hopes of claiming the series win for St. Mary's.
