OKLAHOMA CITY – High winds and a blustery temperature of 49 degrees at first pitch lent to a lot of offense for both teams as St. Mary's and Oklahoma Christian opened the Lone Star Conference baseball season. The Eagles hung on to win 16-14.
The Rattlers (2-2, 0-1 Lone Star Conference) tied the school's single game record with four double plays turned in the first four innings of the game. It is the ninth time in the Division II era the team has recorded four in a contest.
The Eagles (1-0, 1-0 Lone Star) jumped out to the early lead and never trailed, though the Blue & Gold cut it to one, 11-10 in the sixth inning. OC scored its 16 runs on 17 hits with one StMU miscue, while the Rattlers 14 runs came on 11 hits with five Eagle errors.
The middle of the lineup did most of the damage for the Rattlers as
Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) led the way with three hits in the third spot,
Fernando Zubia (El Paso, Texas) recorded two hits – including a two-run home run – out of the cleanup spot and first baseman
Mitchell Caskey (Houston) added another pair in the five-hole for seven of the team's 11 hits.
Shawn Tober (San Antonio) also had two hits on the afternoon.
Junior right-hander
Connor Schmidt (Devine, Texas) started on the hill for St. Mary's and moved to 1-1 after allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits with three walks and no strikeouts. Four other hurlers got work, including sophomore
Caden Floyd (Corpus Christi, Teas) and freshman
Josh Malone (New Braunfels, Texas) for the first time in 2021.
After giving up five runs in the bottom of the second, senior
Derek Mueller (Carrolton, Texas) started the Rattlers half of the third with a walk and slid into second safely on a wild pitch. With one out, Mares doubled to right center to plate Mueller, and Mares scored on a single back up the middle off the bat of Zubia for the 5-2 tally.
The Eagles immediately answered with four runs in the bottom of the third, knocking Schmidt out of the game. Sophomore
Mauro Bustamante (Helotes, Texas) walked with one out and with two outs, Tober hit a low line drive to the right-center wall to plate Bustamante and Mueller knuckled a ball through the wind to left-center for another double, scoring Tober for the 9-4 score.
In the fourth, the Rattlers turned their fourth double play to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard. Mares singled to center to begin the fifth and Zubia followed with a blast over the right field wall and the scoreboard read 9-6. The Eagles plated two more in the bottom of the sixth on a double, wild pitch and a balk to make it 11-6.
Mac Papini (San Antonio), who came in defensively in the fourth inning, reached on a throwing error and moved to second to start the sixth frame. Tober singled to score Papini and he moved up 90 feet when Mueller was plunked in the numbers. After a pitching change,
Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) laid down a bunt on the third base line and the throw to first went wide, allowing Tober to scamper home. With runners at second and third, Mares walked on four straight pitches. A wild pitch plated Mueller and Zubia walked on the next pitch to send the Eagles to their bull pen again. Caskey reached on a fielder's choice that erased Zubia at second, but McGowen scored to bring the Rattlers within one, 11-10.
The Eagles stretched their lead back to six with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Mares led off the eighth with an infield single, moved to second on a groundout by Zubia, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an error by the shortstop off the bat of senior
Johnny Hernandez (El Paso).
In the top of the ninth, Tober started things with a walk, but was erased on a fielder's choice to third by Mueller.
Scott Short (Ingram, Texas), pinch hitting, drew a walk and with one out, Zubia also walked to load the bases. Caskey singled down the right field line to plate two and Zubia scored on a miscue off the bat of Hernandez, but the Rattlers couldn't push across any more for the 16-14 final.
The Rattlers and Eagles will meet on Friday for a doubleheader, beginning at noon.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER & TEAM NOTES
- The Rattlers tied the school record with four double plays. It is the ninth time in the Division II era the team has turned four double plays in one game.
- Junior Fernando Zubia hit his first home run of the season with a two-run shot over the right field fence. It is the first home run of Zubia's StMU career.
- All nine positions in the batting order reached base at least once on the day.
- Junior Jake Mares recorded a career-high seven assists, bettering his previous high of five done twice.
- Senior Mitchell Caskey also tallied a career-high, recording 11 putouts at first base. Caskey had a career-best 10 in the game against Central Missouri last weekend.
