Pitchers Shine in Doubleheader Sweep

SAN ANTONIO – All three facets of the game were on point for the St. Mary's Baseball team as they swept a doubleheader from Texas A&M Kingsville on Sunday afternoon, but the Rattlers got a pair of complete games from their pitchers for the 6-1 and 6-0 victories.
 
The pitching staff allowed only one run in the 14 innings, the offense scored 12 runs on 17 hits and the defense made some great plays to keep the pitchers out of trouble as the Rattlers improved to 7-14 on the year and 5-14 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
The two squads conclude the series on Monday at 1 p.m. in a scheduled nine-inning affair as the Rattlers try to win their first series in league action this season.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
For the first time all season, a Rattlers pitcher went the distance as senior Steven Medrano (El Paso, Texas) threw a complete-game, 115 pitch win. He allowed one run on five hits, walked four and struck out five to improve to 1-2 on the year.
 
St. Mary's scored six runs on six hits with four walks and five Kingsville errors. Senior Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Senior Shawn Tober (San Antonio) drove in two runs, singling up the middle with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third.
 
The Rattlers jumped on the scoreboard first, plating two in their half of the first. Mares singled past his own position on the field and moved to second on a walk by sophomore Ty Luper (League City, Texas). The pair both advanced 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by junior Clay Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas). Junior Rudy Solis (El Paso) hit into a fielder's choice and Mares got caught in a rundown, eventually scoring when the catcher was called for interference. Luper scored on a groundout by sophomore Devin Goins (San Antonio) for the 2-0 lead.
 
In the third after the Javelinas scored one, the Gold & Blue immediately answered. With one out, Solis reached on an error by the second baseman. Goins doubled down the right field line and on a throw home, the pitcher dropped the ball allowing Solis to score. Senior Brian Juarez (Corpus Christi, Texas) singled and sophomore Jake Elizondo (San Antonio) reached on a fielder's choice that saw Goins get tagged out at home on a fantastic defensive play by TAMUK pitcher Kobe Jaramillo, who dove off the mound to retrieve the bunt and throw to his catcher from his knees. Sophomore Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) drew a walk to load the bases and Tober singled up the middle to score two and stretch the advantage to 5-1.
 
In the top of the fifth, Elizondo saved Medrano from having to throw more pitches as with two outs, Parrish had a high pop fly bounce off his glove in foul territory, but Elizondo dove to make the catch in the first base coaches box to end the inning.
 
Mares was plunked to lead off the sixth and he moved to second on a throwing error by the pitcher on a pickoff attempt. A flyout by senior Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) advanced him to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly to deep right center by Bradford for the 6-1 score.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
Not to be outdone, junior Josh Buske (San Antonio) took the ball for game two and ran with it as Medrano did, pitching a complete game. Buske improved to 3-0 on the year with a shutout, giving up just two hits, walking two and striking out a career-best seven. Buske retired 11 straight batters from the second through one out in the sixth before walking a batter.
 
Mares, Solis and Tober all had two hits each as the Rattlers scored six runs on 11 hits and were aided by two errors. Solis and Tober also each had two RBI.
 
The Rattlers got to work early, scoring one in the first after Mares singled to left center to kick things off. He was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by McGowen, scampered to third on a groundout by Bradford and scored on a single to right center by Solis.
 
Goins started things for the Rattlers in the fourth with a single to right center. Juarez walked and the pair moved up on a failed pickoff. With one out, Parrish walked to load the bases and a double down the left field line off the bat of Tober scored a pair for the 4-0 lead.
 
In the fifth, McGowen doubled to right center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bradford. He scored on a single to left by Solis to have the scoreboard read 5-0.
 
Juarez singled to lead off the sixth and freshman Jorge Cuevas (El Paso) pinch ran for him. Elizondo bunted Cuevas to second and he stole third. The throw down from the catcher went wide of third, allowing Cuevas to push the sixth run across.
 
The Javelinas threatened in the top of the seventh, but Bradford made a great throw from the right field line to Mares at second to get the out before the runner on second could cross home plate, preserving the shutout.