AUSTIN, Texas – Timely hitting and solid defense are two things a head coach talks about often and the St. Mary's Baseball team struggled with the first, stranding eight runners on base in an 8-3 loss at St. Edward's on Sunday afternoon.
The Rattlers (6-8, 6-8 Lone Star Conference) left the bases loaded in the first inning and left a total of 32 runners on base over the four game series with the Hilltoppers (7-7, 7-7 Lone Star).
St. Mary's scored its three runs on seven hits with one error, while St. Edward's scored eight runs on seven hits with one miscue.
Junior transfer
Fernando Zubia (El Paso, Texas) and sophomore
Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) each had multi-hit days. Zubia was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Mares was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk. Senior
Johnny Hernandez (El Paso) scored the other run for the Rattlers after walking in the eighth.
Sophomore
Connor Schmidt (Devine, Texas) went to 0-1 on the season in his first start and fifth appearance. He pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Senior
Tyler Dick (San Antonio) threw 0.2 innings, surrendering two earned runs (three total) on no hits with one walk and one strikeout. He also hit two batters. Junior
Adrian Gonzales (Pasadena, Texas) pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing one hit, one walk and he fanned one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
St. Edward's scored on a three-run homer in the bottom of the first with one out. The Rattlers left the bases loaded in the top of the second to keep the score at 3-0. A great diving catch in left-center by senior
Derek Mueller (Carrolton, Texas) helped the Rattlers retire the Hilltoppers in order in the bottom half of the frame.
With one out in the third, Mares tripled to right and scored on a throwing error by the shortstop that hit Mares and bounced into the SEU dugout. Schmidt retired nine straight until the bottom of the fourth and his defense backed him up after a single with one out, turning the 5-4-3 double play.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Hilltoppers added two runs and tagged on three in the sixth for the 8-1 advantage.
In the eighth, Mares led things off with a four pitch walk and Hernandez walked on five pitches. With two outs, Zubia singled to right to score Mares and Hernandez came around to score on a single to right by roommate
Andrew Perez (El Paso) for the 8-3 final.
TEAM & INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES
- St. Mary's scored a run in the third inning on Sunday and is now out-scoring opponents 17-to-8 in the third frame this year. The Rattlers are also out-scoring opponents 10-to-2 in the ninth frame in 2020.
- Senior Steven Wynn (San Antonio) stretched his hitting streak to 10-straight games with a ground rule double in the second inning.
- Jake Mares recorded his seventh multi-hit game of the season with a pair of hits. He hit the team's second triple of the year, singled and walked. He now has four two-hit and three three-hit games.
- The St. Mary's pitchers have struck out at least five hitters in 11 straight games and in 13 of the 14 this season. Five times, the hurlers have reached double digits in K's.
UP NEXT
St. Mary's remains on the road next weekend for a four-game series at Texas-Permian Basin before returning home to host Texas A&M-Kingsville March 6-8.
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