OKLAHOMA CITY - On the opening day of the Lone Star Conference Tournament, the St. Mary's Softball team took down the eight-seed Cameron Aggies, 6-1 before falling to the tournament's top-seed, Oklahoma Christian, 4-2. The loss ends the Rattlers' season.
St. Mary's finishes the 2021 season with a 21-23 overall record and a 15-15 mark in conference play.
Game One Recap
Abigale Carney struck for the 10th time of the season as the senior belted a solo home run over the left center field wall to give the Rattlers the early 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Bari Christian led off the Rattlers' half of the third inning with a single to right field and would move up on a bunt single from
Jayme Johns. After an
Ericka Gomez walk, the bases were full of Rattlers with Carney coming back to the plate. Carney drove in her team-leading 37th RBI of the year on a sacrifice fly, scoring Christian to extend the St. Mary's lead to 2-0.
St. Mary's busted the game open in the fifth, scoring three runs to make it 5-1. Johns started the inning with her second single of the game and advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Gomez. Carney reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Johns to move to third. A sacrifice fly from
Tiffany Licon plated Johns.
Amber Gonzales delivered the big blow in the inning as the senior doubled to left field to score
Alex Moreno and Carney.
St. Mary's added a seventh run in their final at bat when Licon singled and moved to third on a throwing error from the Aggies. A single from Moreno plated Licon.
Alex McLennan was brilliant in relief as the senior earned the win, tossing four innings and allowing just two hits while striking out two batters.
Johns had a three-hit performance in the win.
Game Two Recap
The win earned the Rattlers the task of taking down the tournaments No. 1 seed and the fourth-ranked team in the country in Oklahoma Christian.
The Lady Eagles wasted no time putting runs on the board, plating two in the first inning to take the early lead.
St. Mary's got two runners aboard in the top of the second inning after Moreno reached on an Oklahoma Christian error and
Alyssa Flores drew a two-out walk. Both runners were stranded on the bases.
Oklahoma Christian added a run in the third inning and in the fifth to make it a 4-0 contest.
Carney blasted her 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot to cut the Rattlers deficit in half.
Christian led off the Rattlers' half of the seventh, bringing the potential tying run to the plate.
Victoria Aldridge moved Christian into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Johns hit a ball to second base and Christian was called out on on runners interference, leaving Johns at first with two outs and Gomez coming to bat. Gomez went down on strikes to end the game.
The Rattlers recorded just three hits in the loss and the pitching staff held the Lady Eagles to just four hits.
Alex McLennan threw 4.1 innings in relief, allowing two runs on two hits.
