SAN ANTONIO – Timely hitting, no errors and a solid pitching performance helped lead the St. Mary's Baseball to a season opening win over Cameron, 5-0.
Senior
Zach De La Garza (San Antonio) recorded the first win of the season and the 19
th of his career after throwing six scoreless innings where he struck out eight and allowed only three hits.
Jacob Koehler, a junior from New Braunfels, Texas, pitched the final three frames to earn the first save of his career. Koehler gave up only one hit and fanned six to keep the Aggies (0-1, 0-1 Lone Star Conference) off the board.
The Rattlers (1-0, 1-0 Lone Star) started the season at home for the first time in three years and amassed five runs on eight hits and walked five times. Eight of the nine spots in the batting order reached base at least once on the night. Senior first baseman
Keaton Milford (New Braunfels) paced the Rattlers with two hits and two RBIs, while senior
Andrew Perez (El Paso, Texas) scored two of the club's runs.
The team also picked up where they left off last spring, swiping three bases with senior
Derek Mueller (Carrollton, Texas), sophomore
Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) and sophomore
Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) each stealing one.
"Zach and Jake did a good job of not walking people," Head Coach
Charlie Migl said. "We got timely hitting and our defense didn't make any errors, so that's a good night. I'm really proud that they pulled that off in the first game. Usually the first game can be crazy and I think they hung in there and did a good job. I just told them today's over, tomorrow we have to come back and be ready."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rattlers pushed one across in the bottom of the second for the 1-0 lead. Senior
Patrick Fennell (El Paso) singled to lead off the inning and scored on a double and a misplayed ball off the bat of junior
Mitchell Caskey (Houston).
In the third frame, Mares started things off with a walk and scored on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Perez that was thrown wide of first base for the 2-0 advantage.
Mueller beat out a throw with one out in the fourth and stole second. Perez drew the fourth walk of the day for the Rattlers and both scored on a single through the right side by Milford for the 5-0 lead. De La Garza got the bats right back to work with a three up, three down top of the fifth.
De La Garza walked a pair to start off the sixth, but buckled down to strike out two and after loading the bases with another base on balls, he came back to strike out the side.
Neither team in the final five frames as the relief pitchers worked efficiently.
TEAM & INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES
- The Rattlers improve to 8-2 in season openers over the last 10 seasons. The team is 5-1 in home games during the same stretch.
- For the eighth time in his career, Zach De La Garza struck out eight or more in one of his starts.
- Jake Mares improved to a perfect 20-for-20 in stolen bases in his career.
- Eight of the nine spots in the batting order recorded at least one hit in the game and the ninth, senior Johnny Hernandez (El Paso) tallied an RBI.
- Mitchell Caskey had the team's first extra base hit of the year with a double to left in the second inning.
UP NEXT
The Rattlers and Aggies continue the series on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch for both games is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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