SAN ANTONIO - The St. Mary's Baseball team earned a much-needed sweep on Friday as the Rattlers defeated Eastern New Mexico 8-6 and 21-3 at Dickson Stadium. St. Mary's combined for 26 hits and 29 runs in the sweep. The 21 runs scored in game two is the most in a game since April 2, 2019 when the Rattlers scored 25 in a win over Our Lady of the Lake.
The Greyhounds started the scoring in the first game as the first two hitter tripled and singed to put ENMU up 1-0.
St. Mary's answered in the home half of the first.
Jake Mares and
Brandon Broughton started things for the Rattlers as they reached on a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively.
Mitchell Caskey drove Mares in with a single up the middle, advancing Broughton to second. A wild pitch would send Broughton to third and he would score on a
Brian Juarez single to left field.
Jake Sims singled up the middle to score Caskey, giving St. Mary's an early 3-1 lead.
Two Greyhound errors combined with two St. Mary's hits allowed the Rattlers to plate four runs in the third inning to extend their lead to 7-1. Juarez and Sims each picked up an RBI in the inning.
Eastern New Mexico scored a run in the fifth and the sixth to cut into the St. Mary's lead but things got interesting in the seventh as the Greyhounds scored three runs including a two-run home run, making it a 7-6 contest.
In the home half of the seventh the Rattlers plated a run as Hernandez drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Broughton and giving the Rattlers a two-run cushion with two innings to play.
St. Mary's starter,
Dylan Bells went six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, earning him the win.
Johnny Panatex was effective for three innings to earn the save. Panatex struck out four batters and did not allow a hit.
Fernando Zubia and Sims both collected two hits in the victory.
The Rattlers offense came out in the second game on fire, scoring 10 runs in the opening frame, the most runs in an inning since the Rattlers scored 11 in the Our Lady of the Lake game in 2019. St. Mary's sprayed six hits in the inning. Caskey, Zubia, and Broughton each drove in two runs in the inning.
Runs continued to come in bunches for St. Mary's as the Rattlers plated four in the third. Hernandez ripped a two-RBI double with one out to put St. Mary's up 14-0. Zubia and Broughton each drove in a run in the inning.
An inning later, the Rattlers brought six runs across to extend their lead to 20-0. Zubia added two more RBI to his stat line, giving him five for the game.
Mac Papini,
Devin Goins, and
Robert Ruff got in on the action as they each picked up an RBI in the fifth.
Hernandez finished with four RBI.
Zach De La Garza earned his fourth win of the year on the mound as the lefty tossed five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out five batters.
The two teams will close out the series tomorrow with a single game starting at 1:00 p.m. at Dickson Stadium.
