Regular Season Ends In Tough Fashion For Baseball

SAN ANTONIO – All eight seniors that were honored on Saturday prior to first pitch played in at least one of the two games against ninth-ranked Angelo State and despite the pair of losses, five of the six seniors reached base at least once and the two pitchers each saw action.

The Rattlers (22-18) dropped both games, 12-5 and 15-5 to the Rams (34-6), but will enter the Lone Star Conference Tournament as the fifth-seed and travel to Texas A&M-Kingsville for a three-game series beginning on Friday, May 14.

GAME ONE RECAP
The Rattlers dropped game one 12-5, scoring four of their five runs in the final three frames. Senior centerfielder Derek Mueller (Carrolton, Texas) continued to hit well, going 3-for-4 at the top of the lineup with two runs scored. Junior Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) was the only other with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. Both Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) and Mitchell Caskey (Houston) collected two RBI each.

Senior Zach De La Garza (San Antonio) fell to 7-3 on the season after giving up five earned runs on nine hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. Four other hurlers saw action in the contest.

Despite each team committing three errors in the game, the Rattlers did turn three double plays giving them 34 on the season.

Mueller got his streak out of the way early, reaching for the 31^st straight time with a hit by pitch in the first inning. He moved to second on a wild pitch. Junior Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) was also plunked. Broughton reached via catcher's interference to load the bases. A fielding error by the short stop allowed everyone to be safe and Mueller to score.

Angelo State took the lead with two runs on three hits in the second inning and added one in the third for the 3-1 lead. The Rams tacked on three runs on four hits and an error to extend the lead to 6-1 in the top of the fifth. A four-run sixth and two-run seventh pushed the Rams advantage to 12-1.

Mueller singled the first pitch of the seventh down the left field line and Mares singled through the left side. Both senior Fernando Zubia (El Paso, Texas) and Broughton walked for the second run of the game.  A wild pitch moved everyone up 90 feet and Zubia scored on a ground out by Caskey for the 12-4 tally.

In the bottom of the ninth with one out, Broughton launched the first pitch over the left field fence for the 12-5 final.

GAME TWO RECAP
In the nightcap, the Rattlers were behind the eight-ball early, surrendering five runs in the first and nine runs in the second to trail 14-0.

The Rattlers scored five of the next six runs, but it wasn't enough as they fell 15-5. Both Mueller and junior Shawn Tober (San Antonio) were hit by a pitch in the contest giving the team 78 for the year which breaks the St. Mary's single season record of 76 held by the 2006 club.

Mares recorded two of the team's six hits and had three of the four RBI. He also scored once to bring his batting average up to .391 for the season. Mueller also stretched his streak of reaching base safely to 32 consecutive with a hit and hit by pitch.

Freshman Karlo Kalifa (Round Rock, Texas) fell to 0-2 and pitched only the first frame. He allowed five runs on four hits with a walk. Senior Johnny Panatex (Pflugerville, Texas) came on in relief, but he was taken out after facing only five batters with arm pain. Three other hurlers threw the final six frames, including Hernandez who moved from second base. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning, allowing only one hit.

Mares walked to lead off the fourth, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a single up the middle – the first hit of the game for the Rattlers – by Hernandez.
In the fifth, Tober took the first pitch through the right side, Mueller singled back up the middle and Tober scampered to third. Mares took a pitch to right field to plate Tober for the 14-2 score.

The Rams got one back in the top of the sixth, but the Rattlers offense kept things going in the bottom half of the frame. Hernandez walked and with one out senior Mac Papini (San Antonio) flared a single to center. With two outs, Mueller was hit to load the bases and a single to right center by Mares plated two. Mueller then scored on a wild pitch for the 15-5 final tally.