Softball Splits Day One of 2022 Season

CONROE, Texas – The St. Mary's Softball team kicked off the 2022 season with a split during day one of the annual Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational, dropping game one 2-1 to #16 Southern Arkansas before rebounding to defeat the hosts 4-3.
 
St. Mary's returns to the Scrap Yard on Sunday for a pair of games, facing former Heartland Conference foe Rogers State at noon and #20 Central Oklahoma at 4 p.m.
 
#16 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 2, ST. MARY'S 1
The Rattlers struck first in the opening game of the season, scoring one run in the bottom of the first inning, but the 16th-ranked team in the nation scored one in the third and one in the fifth for the 2-1 win.
 
Freshman Jadyn Abrego (San Antonio) started in the circle for the Rattlers, allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in her first collegiate contest.
 
After Abrego retired the side in order to start the game, senior Victoria Aldridge (Elgin, Texas) singled to left and scampered to second on a miscue by the left fielder. A pair of errors by the second baseman two batters later on a ball off the bat from sophomore Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas) allowed Aldridge to score and the 1-0 advantage.
 
In addition to Aldridge, Abrego, senior Amber Gonzales (Austin, Texas) and senior Tiffany Licon (Austin) each had one hit – all singles. Senior Bari Christian (San Antonio), who reached via walk stole second base for the 36th steal of her career.
 
ST. MARY'S 4, ARKANSAS TECH 3
Arkansas Tech scored one in the bottom of the first but the Rattlers struck for four in the top of the second. With one out Lauren Ramos (Marion, Texas) walked and moved to third on a single off the bat of Christian. And error by the right fielder allowed Gonzales to get to third base, scoring both runners. Abigale Carney (El Paso, Texas) singled to plate Gonzales. With two outs, Aldridge singled up the middle and senior Jayme Johns (Elgin) did the same to score Carney for the 4-1 lead.
 
The Golden Suns plated one run each in the second and third to pull within one, 4-3 but neither team scored the final four innings.
 
The Rattlers recorded seven hits with one extra-base hit as Carney doubled in the fourth. 
 
Junior transfer Catalina Cavazos (Houston) started in the circle, pitching three innings. She surrendered all three runs on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Freshman Savannah Youngblood (Kingwood, Texas) earned her first win of the year, throwing the final four frames. She allowed only two hits in the 16 batters she faced.