Baseball Drops Opener Against No. 4

Box Score SAN ANTONIO – The St. Mary's Baseball team fought back from an early deficit, but couldn't keep it up late, dropping the first game of the series against fourth-ranked West Texas A&M, 10-4.
 
The Rattlers (10-17, 8-17 Lone Star Conference) scored their four runs on seven singles with four walks and one hit by pitch. Reigning NCBWA South Central Region Hitter of the Week, Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) recorded one hit, a sacrifice bunt and stole a base, while junior Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI from the designated hitter spot.
 
Senior Connor Schmidt (Devine, Texas) pitched the first three innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with six walks and four strikeouts in a no decision. Sophomore Karlo Kalifa (Round Rock, Texas) fell to 1-3 on the season after giving up three runs on four hits with two strikeouts in 1.1 frames. Senior Adrian Gonzales (Pasadena, Texas) was on the hill for the next 2.2 innings, surrendering two earned runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts and junior Caden Floyd (Corpus Christi) finished out the game with two hits and two walks in two innings.
 
West Texas A&M scored four in the top of the third inning, however the Rattlers responded immediately with four of their own to knot the game. Sophomore Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) walked and Mares sacrifice bunted him over 90 feet. Clay Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas) singled to right center to plate Parrish and Rudy Solis (El Paso, Texas) hit a grounder to shortstop, which was mishandled allowing both runners to be safe. Broughton hit a single back up the middle to score Bradford. Sophomore Devin Goins (San Antonio) walked to load the bases and senior Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Solis. A single to right by Jake Elizondo (San Antonio) scored Broughton for the 4-4 score.
 
The Buffs scored three in the fifth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth for 10 runs on 13 hits and they were aided by two Rattler miscues.
 
The two teams return to the diamond for a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch for game one is slated for 2 p.m.