AUSTIN - The St. Mary's Softball team split a pair of games on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference Battle of the Saints. The Rattlers took the first game, 7-3 before dropping the second, 4-1 to St. Edward's. St. Mary's moves to 12-14 overall on the season.
The first game of the day was back-and-forth for the first three innings as the Rattlers struck first in the top of the opening frame.
Jayme Johns started things with a single up the middle and would move up on a sacrifice bunt from
Victoria Aldridge. Johns later stole third and came across to score on a sacrifice fly from
Bari Christian to give the Rattlers a 1-0 lead.
St. Edward's scored a run in the second and third to take a 2-1 lead over the Rattlers.
The St. Mary's offense got things going in the fourth inning as
Alyssa Flores blasted a one-out home run to right centerfield to even the game at two. Three straight free passes from the Hilltoppers hurler loaded the bases for the Rattlers. After a pitching chance, Christian drew a bases loaded walk to bring in the go-ahead run in
Cassidy Brawley.
The Rattlers added two more runs in the fifth inning.
Tiffany Licon reached on a leadoff single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from
Amber Gonzales. With two outs, Brawley reached on a single and stole second to put Rattlers at second and third with Johns coming to the plate. Johns delivered a two-RBI single, giving the Rattlers a three-run lead.
Reba Reyes led off the sixth inning with a walk and would later steal second. Reyes moved up 90 feet on a groundout and would later score on an RBI single from Gonzales. Brawley drove in the Rattlers final run of the game with a single up the middle, scoring Gonzales.
The Hilltoppers would add a run in the home half of the seventh inning but
Alex McLennan slammed the door for the win. McLennan tossed give innings in relief, earning the win.
Brawley finished 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Johns had two hits, two RBI and a run scored while Licon recorded two hits.
In the second game of the series, runs were hard to come by for the Rattler offense.
St. Mary's trailed 2-0 after St. Edward's scored two in the first inning. The Rattlers cut their deficit in half in the second inning after a Reyes leadoff double turned into a run on a sacrifice fly from Gonzales.
The Hilltoppers added a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning to boost its lead to 4-1.
The Rattlers managed to get just one hit over the final five innings of the game.
Julia Cruz took the loss in the game, tossing two innings, allowing four runs on five hits.
The Rattlers left eight runners on base in the loss.
Up next for the Rattlers is UT Permian Basin on Friday, April 9 in San Antonio.
