OKLAHOMA CITY – In one of the best comebacks in school history, the St. Mary's Baseball team outscored Oklahoma Christian 14-3 over the final five innings to win an 18-15 thriller and advance in the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
The Rattlers (24-18) scored five in the fifth, eight in the seventh and one in the ninth, while junior
Collin Storms (Lewisville, Texas) held the Eagles (24-16) to two runs on two hits over the final 4 2/3 innings to win his third game of the year (3-4).
Storms was the third pitcher utilized by the Rattlers as he walked two and fanned four – including two in the ninth – for the win. Senior
Zach De La Garza (San Antonio) started on the hill and allowed four earned runs on nine hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Freshman
Justin Ortega (San Antonio) worked the next 1 1/3 innings, surrendering three runs on three hits with three walks and one strikeout.
StMU scored its 18 runs on 14 hits and walked 14 times as well as getting hit twice. OC scored 15 runs on 14 hits and was aided by three Rattler miscues in a game that took over four hours. The Rattlers became the first team to punch their ticket to the final weekend, as two of the other series are tied at 1-1 and West Texas A&M and St. Edward's had the Friday night game halted and it resumed on Saturday afternoon.
All nine spots in the batting order scored at least one run and walked one or more times and eight of the nine spots collected at least one RBI. The Rattlers also hit a season-high four home runs as senior
Fernando Zubia (El Paso, Texas), sophomore
Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas), senior
Mac Papini (San Antonio) and junior
Brian Juarez (Corpus Christi) each hit one over the outfield fence. Papini and Juarez went back-to-back in the eight-run seventh inning.
Zubia was 3-for-4 on the day, while Broughton was 3-for-5 with five RBI. Juarez went 2-for-5 with two RBI and senior
Derek Mueller (Carrolton, Texas) was also 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
St. Mary's awaits the conclusion of the other series to find out when and where the remainder of the Lone Star Conference Tournament will take place.
Mueller reached for the 34
th straight game, singling to right field to lead off the contest. Junior
Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) walked and Zubia sacrificed them both up 90 feet. Broughton singled to centerfield to clear the bases and give the Rattlers a 2-0 lead.
Oklahoma Christian took the lead in the bottom of the first with an uncharacteristic three walks by De La Garza and a two-run home run for the 3-2 advantage.
Zubia knotted the score with a home run that went just inside the foul pole down the right field line with one out in the third.
Seven runs on seven hits and two errors in the bottom of the third pushed the Eagles lead to seven, 10-3.
With two outs in the fourth, junior
Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) bunted for a single and came around to score on a double to left center by Mueller to close within six, 10-4.
The Eagles added two more in the fourth for the 12-4 score, but the Rattlers got busy in the top of the fifth. Zubia singled to left and Broughton hit the team's second smash of the day, clearing the left center fence. Senior
Mitchell Caskey (Houston) and senior
Johnny Hernandez (El Paso, Texas) drew back-to-back walks and Papini was hit by a pitch on the top of his helmet while pinch hitting. Juarez singled down the right field line to advance everyone one base and after a pitching change, McGowen walked. Mueller grounded into a double play, but Papini scored as the Rattlers closed within three, 12-9.
A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth extended the Eagles advantage back to four, 13-9.
McGowen was hit in the numbers on his back to lead off the seventh and Mueller followed with a base on balls. After OC went again to the bullpen, Mares drew a walk to load the bags and Zubia walked in a run to force the Eagles to go back to the pen. Broughton took the jog down the first base line after four pitches out of the zone and Caskey hit into a fielder's choice, but Broughton was safe at second when the second baseman's foot was off the bag on the throw. Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to tie the score again, this time at 13-13. Papini hit a three-run home run over the left field fence to give the Rattlers the 16-13 lead. Juarez kept it going with a home run to left for the 17-13 score.
The Eagles chipped on one in their half of the seventh to make it a three-run game, 17-14.
Hernandez hit a bloop single to right with one out in the ninth and Papini walked. A wild pitch advanced both runners but one pitch later Juarez walked and the bags were once again full of Rattlers. Another wild pitch plated Hernandez as the scoreboard read 18-14.
After a solo home run by the Eagles in the bottom of the ninth, Storms buckled down to get back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to give St. Mary's the 18-15 win and advance them to the double elimination bracket portion of the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
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