SAN ANTONIO – Untimely errors proved extremely costly late in the game on Saturday as Eastern New Mexico scored nine runs in the last three innings to come back and defeat St. Mary's 9-5 on getaway day.
The Rattlers (14-14, 11-13 Lone Star Conference) held a 5-0 run entering the seventh inning, but an uncharacteristic four errors helped the Greyhounds (6-18, 5-18 Lone Star) push across nine runs for the victory. Only one of the nine runs for ENMU was earned as freshman
Karlo Kalifa (Round Rock, Texas) had one of the best appearances of his young career.
Kalifa gave up three unearned runs on nine hits, striking out four in 6.2 innings. He didn't walk a single batter. He threw a career-high 93 pitches in his second career start and lowered his ERA by almost two complete runs.
The top five hitters in the Rattlers lineup collected seven of the team's nine hits on the afternoon, with senior
Derek Mueller (Carrolton, Texas) and junior
Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) each posting two. The pair also accounted for three of the team's five runs.
StMU drew six walks, with senior
Mitchell Caskey (Houston, Texas) tallying two. Senior
Fernando Zubia (El Paso, Texas) and sophomore
Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) each had two RBI. The defense also turned three double plays, but the offense stranded 15 runners on base. It is the 10
th time in 2021 the Rattlers have left 10 or more on base in a contest.
The Rattlers jumped onto the scoreboard early plating one run in the bottom of the first. Mueller led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Mares. Zubia singled through the right side to plate the speedy Mueller for the 1-0 edge.
In the fifth with one out, Mares tripled down the right field line and with two outs he scored on a bloop single to centerfield by Broughton to double the lead to 2-0.
With one out in the seventh, sophomore
Jake Sims (San Antonio) and junior
Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) were both hit by pitches to end the day for the Greyhounds starter. Both stole on a full count to Mueller and Mares walked to load the bases. Zubia also walked to push Sims across home plate. Broughton was the third Rattler hit by a pitch in the frame to score McGowen and Caskey walked to score Mares for three runs on no hits and the 5-0 advantage.
ENMU scored three unearned runs in the top of the seventh to cut the Rattlers lead to two, 5-3 and a pair of errors by StMU helped the Greyhounds plate six in the top of the ninth for the 9-5 final.
St. Mary's heads back on the road for a three-game series at Cameron next weekend. The teams are slated for a doubleheader in Lawton beginning at 2 and concluding on Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest.
