SAN ANTONIO – The St. Mary's University Softball team played their first regular season contests of the 2021 spring on Saturday evening as the Rattlers hosted the preseason fifth-ranked Angelo State Rambelles and the A&M-Kingsville Javelinas in non-conference action.
Game One Recap
The Rattlers scored six runs on eight hits against the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) preseason fifth-ranked Rambelles but fell just short, falling 8-6 in the opener.
Angelo State struck early scoring two runs in the top half of the first. St. Mary's starting pitcher Sarah Robertson retired her two of her first four batters but issued two walks to put runners on first and second with two outs. Back-to-back singles plated two runs to give the Rambelles an early 2-0 advantage.
In the home half of the first, the St. Mary's bats answered in a big way.
Victoria Aldridge roped a leadoff double to right field and freshman
Reba Reyes reached on a hit by pitch. Both runners moved up on a groundout by
Tiffany Licon. Robertson plated the first Rattler run with a sacrifice fly to right field. With one on and two out,
Abigale Carney put St. Mary's in front with a two-run blast to dead centerfield, making it a 3-2 contest.
Two St. Mary's errors allowed for a big third inning for Angelo State. The Rambelles scored three runs in the frame to regain the lead.
Alex Moreno hit her first homerun of the season in the fourth inning, a solo shot, making it 5-4.
Amber Gonzales drew a one-out walk and moved into scoring position on a groundout. Gonzales came around to score on an Aldridge single to even the game at five, heading to the fifth inning.
Angelo State added a pair of runs in the sixth inning on a St. Mary's error, giving the Rambelles a 7-5 lead but the Rattlers scored a run in the bottom of the sixth on a Reyes single that scored Gonzales.
With Angelo runners at first and third with two outs in the seventh it looked as if the Rattlers were going to get out of the inning with a one-run deficit heading into their final at-bat. The Rambelles attempted a double steal and St. Mary's catcher fired the ball back to the
Julia Cruz in the circle who caught the Angelo State baserunner in a rundown. The Rattlers made the tag, but the ball came loose. After calling the runner out, the umpires got together and eventually changing the call to safe, giving the Rambelles an 8-6 lead.
The Rattlers were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh to close out the game.
Three Rattlers finished with two hits.
Game Two Recap
In the nightcap the Rattlers took on LSC foe, Texas A&M-Kingsville and battled the Javelinas with all they had. St. Mary's played their first extra inning game of the season, eventually falling 2-0 in 10 innings.
St. Mary's got an outstanding performance from their veteran hurler,
Alex McLennan. McLennan tossed 9.2 innings, allowing just two runs on nine hits and striking out three.
A&M-Kingsville's starter was equally impressive in the circle as Sadi Castillo held the Rattlers hitless for the first four innings of the game. Castillo gave up just three hits and struck out eight batters.
Things were quite through the first five innings but each team had their chance to strike in the sixth inning. In the top half, the Javelinas had two on with one out but McLennan pitched out of the jam, leaving two runners stranded. In the bottom half, the Rattlers got their first two runners aboard as Reyes drew a walk and Licon singled to the shortstop. Castillo retired the next three batters to end the St. Mary's threat.
In the bottom of the seventh the Rattlers put a runner in scoring position but could not manage to push a run across, sending the game to extra innings.
Errors proved to be costly in the 10th inning as two St. Mary's errors allowed the Javelinas to plate two runs. The Rattlers brought the tying run to the plate in the home half of the inning but a groundout to the A&M-Kingsville shortstop sealed the win for the Javelinas.
The Rattlers fall to 0-2 on the season and will travel to Arkadelphia, Arkansas next weekend for the Ronnie Hawkins/Mike McGhee Memorial Tournament. Live stats links for the tournament can be found on the
St. Mary's Athletics Website
