SAN ANGELO – After a strong first three games in the Lone Star Conference Baseball Tournament, the St. Mary's Rattlers dropped both games on Friday to end the year with a 25-20 record. The Rattlers lost in their first game of the day, 16-3 to fifth-ranked Angelo State and lost 12-6 to Lubbock Christian in the nightcap.
"We knew coming in we had a very good chance," said Head Coach
Charlie Migl. "We had opportunities in the first game and they turned some double plays on us. We came in and won a game and played hard in the two others and you can't ask for any more than that."
Senior
Derek Mueller (Carrolton, Texas) collected multiple hits in both games (3-for-5, 2-for-4) to stretch his hitting streak to 21 games and he reached base safely in 37 consecutive. His 37 game streak is the fourth-longest in St. Mary's Division II history.
Sophomore
Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) was 4-for-8 on the day with a double, home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Seniors
Johnny Hernandez (El Paso, Texas) and junior
Brian Juarez (Corpus Christi) were both 4-for-9 over the twinbill as the team hit .348 on the day.
GAME ONE RECAP
St. Mary's was the home team on the scoreboard, despite playing at Foster Field in San Angelo. Eight of the nine hitters in the lineup recorded at least one hit and all nine reached base one or more times as the Rattlers scored their three runs on 12 hits, but hit into a pair of double plays.
Senior left-handed pitcher
Zach De La Garza (San Antonio) pitched 8 1/3 innings in his final collegiate appearance. He surrendered eight earned runs on 16 hits with three walks and four strikeouts. His 147 pitches were a career-high, surpassing the 137 he threw against UAFS in the Heartland Conference Tournament on May 11, 2018.
"Zach pitched his hear out," Migl stated. "He wanted to keep going during the game, and wanted to save our pitching for the second game. I can't say enough about him. He's our leader and I'm really glad he played for me.
"I think we had high expectations early on (in the season) and on the third weekend – in about a span of seven days – we lost our number one and three (pitchers). All of the sudden guys had to step up and they did. Zach and Dylan (Bells) were our leaders and I'm so happy to be associated with that."
"It didn't go as planned today, obviously," De La Garza said. "But I just tried to leave it all out there with this being my last game. Coming out of high school, I only had one offer and that was to St. Mary's so I took it. I've had ups and downs like everyone, but it's been a great career and I've been appreciative of it."
Mueller and Hernandez both recorded three hits in the game, with Mueller going 3-for-5 and Hernandez 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
GAME TWO RECAP
The Rattlers made a valiant attempt at a comeback, but were unable to get over the nine run deficit, ending the season with a 12-6 loss to Lubbock Christian. It was a long, late game for both teams ending at 11:42 p.m. after not beginning until 8:11.
For the second-straight game, all nine spots in the batting order reached base at least once. Broughton was 3-for-4 and Juarez was 3-for-5 as the pair combined for four of the team's five RBI.
The Rattlers knew the third game of the tournament would be a pitch-by-committee type game.
Josh Buske (San Antonio) worked the first two innings, allowing three runs on three hits with three walks and a strikeout to fall to 2-1 on the year. Senior
Johnny Panatex (Pflugerville, Texas) worked just 1/3 of a frame. He gave up only one earned run but six total on five hits with a strikeout. Sophomore
Karlo Kalifa (Round Rock, Texas) threw 3.1 frames, surrendered one run on one hit with three walks and three K's. Hernandez fanned a career-best three batters, lasting 1.2 innings and freshman
Justin Ortega (San Antonio) retired both batters he faced.
After a long third frame that saw the Chaps plate eight for the 9-0 lead, Broughton singled to start things in the top of the fourth for the Rattlers. A wild pitch moved him to second and he scored on a double off the wall to left center by Juarez for the 9-1 tally.
Lubbock Christian got the run back in the bottom of the fourth. Mueller doubled down the left field line to kick off the fifth and scored on a two-run home run over the left field fence by Broughton to close within seven, 10-3.
Juarez singled to center to begin the sixth and advanced when senior
Shawn Tober (San Antonio) was hit in the middle of his numbers. A passed ball allowed both to scamper up 90 feet. Senior
Mac Papini (San Antonio) reached on an error by the short stop to load the bases. Junior
Ryan McGowen's (San Antonio) bat broke on a double play, but Juarez scored for the 10-4 score.
Hernandez came into pitch with two outs and a full count in the bottom of the sixth when Kalifa was forced to leave with an undisclosed injury and he got a swinging strikeout to end the frame. The Rattlers switched to a defensive alignment not seen before as Juarez went to third and senior
Fernando Zubia (El Paso) moved to second base.
With one out in the seventh, Zubia drew a four-pitch walk and forced the Chaps to go to the bullpen. Zubia stole second and came around to score on a sharply hit single by Broughton down the left field line for the 10-5 total.
LCU scored one in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Mueller singled back up the middle and junior
Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) once again walked. Zubia singled to left center and scampered to second on the throw, scoring Mueller on the play so the scoreboard read 11-6. The Chaps again answered with one in the bottom of the eighth for the 12-6 final.
TEAM & INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES
- Senior Derek Mueller ended his career with a 21-game hitting streak and reached base in 36 consecutive. There were only two games all season where he didn't reach. Mueller also ends tied for sixth with 51 stolen bases.
- Brian Juarez doubled in all three games of the second week of the Lone Star Tournament and totaled five doubles and three home runs over the five contests.
- Senior Zach De La Garza threw a career-high 147 pitches in the final outing of his career. De La Garza ends his time in the Gold & Blue ranked fourth in strikeouts (316), fifth in innings pitched (334.1), fifth in games started (50) and tied for sixth in appearances (69).
- Johnny Panatex, who had no decision in the second game ends his career tied for sixth in St. Mary's history with seven saves.
- Johnny Hernandez concludes his career ranked seventh with 30 hit by pitch and ninth with 10 sacrifice flies.
- Fernie Zubia started both games of the day at third base, but moved to second in the sixth inning of game two. He wraps up his two years with the Rattlers with 14 extra base hits.
- Mac Papini started game one as the DH and entered game two as a pinch hitter and finished behind the dish. He collected two hits and walked, ending his career getting hits in four of his final five contests.
- The Rattlers broke the school's single season record, getting hit by a pitch 87 times. They surpassed the previous mark of 76 by the 2006 team.
- StMU also tied for seventh with 73 stolen bases, knotting the 2001 club.
