Baseball Falters In Series Finale with WT

SAN ANTONIO – The St. Mary's Baseball team fell into a hole early and was never able to climb out, losing 11-3 in the series finale to fourth-ranked West Texas A&M.
 
The Rattlers (11-19, 9-19 Lone Star Conference) scored the three runs on five hits and were aided by three Buffs errors, while WT (25-5, 23-5 Lone Star) scored 11 runs on 18 hits with three StMU miscues.
 
The top four hitters in the lineup tallied four of the team's five hits, while senior Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) and senior Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) each had an RBI and Mares scored two of the team's runs.
 
Sophomore Andrew Girod (San Antonio) started his first game of the season, moving to 1-2 on the year. He allowed one earned run (six total) on eight hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts in four innings. Seniors Mason Minister (San Antonio), Dylan Bells (Regina, Saskatchewan) and junior Nick Swanson (Kennesaw, Ga.) worked in relief.
 
The Buffaloes got four unearned runs off four hits and two errors in the first and added one run in each the third, fourth and fifth innings before the Rattlers broke onto the scoreboard.
 
Sophomore Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) singled in the 5-6 hole to lead off the fifth and with two outs, scored from first on a double to left center by Mares. Clay Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas) hit a shot to the first baseman, but was misplayed and the quick toss to the pitcher was overthrown, allowing Mares to score to make it 7-2.
 
After WT scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh to stretch it to 10-2, the Rattlers got one back in the seventh. Mares drew a five-pitch walk, Bradford singled to short and junior Rudy Solis (El Paso, Texas) hit into a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners. Broughton smashed a ball to right centerfield to score Mares for the 10-3 score. The Buffs added a run in the ninth for the 11-3 final.
 
St. Mary's hits the road next week for a four-game series at Eastern New Mexico.