Baseball Ends Up on Short Side of Back-and-Forth Game

ODESSA, Texas – In a game that changed leads four times, the St. Mary's Baseball team ended on the wrong side of things, falling 9-8 to UT Permian Basin in the series opener on Thursday.
 
The Rattlers (16-23, 14-23 Lone Star Conference) stranded 12 runners on base, scoring eight runs on seven hits with one Falcon (11-27, 10-27 LSC) error, while UTPB scored nine runs on 10 hits with one StMU miscue and took advantage of seven walks.
 
Senior Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) recorded the only multi-hit game for the Gold & Blue, going 2-for-3, he was hit by a pitch three times and swiped two more bases. Getting plunked three times in a game ties the school single game record and he is the fourth to do so. He joins assistant coach Ryan Femath (2006), Tyler Migl (2010) and David Nelson (2002) on the record list.
 
Senior Steven Medrano (El Paso, Texas) struck out a career-best 10 batters as he pitched 6.2 innings in a no decision. He surrendered five runs on seven hits with four walks and two hit batters in gusty wind conditions. Senior Anthony Chavez (El Paso) took the loss and fell to 1-3 in 1.2 innings of work. He allowed four runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout and senior Connor Schmidt (Devine, Texas) walked the only two batters he faced.
 
The Rattlers took advantage of Falcons miscues early. With one out in the second, Brian Juarez (Corpus Christi, Texas) reached on a dropped fly ball by the first baseman. Both freshman Tyler Pauly (Fischer, Texas) and sophomore Trey Guajardo (San Juan, Texas) walked to load the bases and Juarez scored on a groundout to short off the bat of Mares. A double steal moved both Mares and Guajardo up a bag and sophomore Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) singled to score both and give the Rattlers a 3-0 lead.
 
A solo home run for the Falcons closed the gap to two, 3-1, but the Rattlers immediately answered with a run in the third. Junior Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi) walked and senior Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) was plunked for the 41st time in his career. Junior Rudy Solis (El Paso) attempted the sacrifice bunt, but they were able to get Broughton out at third. The Gold and Blue pulled off another successful double steal and McGowen scored on a groundout by Juarez and the scoreboard read, 4-2.
 
The Falcons took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the sixth off two hits and a Rattler error with a controversial balk call, but Medrano struck out a pair in the frame to limit any further damage with the score 5-4.
 
The Rattlers again went right back to work, plating a pair in the top of the seventh to regain the advantage. Junior Clay Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas) doubled on the first pitch he saw and Broughton reached when the Falcons attempted to get Bradford out at third, but the Rattlers were safe on the corners. McGowen walked to load the bases and Solis singled to right to score both runs and give StMU the 6-5 advantage.
 
With one out in the ninth, Solis walked and sophomore Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) pinch ran for him. Juarez singled and Pauly was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sophomore Jorge Cuevas (El Paso) hit into a fielder's choice that erased Pauly off the base paths but scored Parrish. Mares singled to left to score Juarez and give the Rattlers some insurance runs, 8-5.
 
Three hits, three walks and a hit batter did in the Rattlers in the bottom of the ninth as the Falcons pulled off the 9-8 win.
 
The two teams return to the diamond for a doubleheader on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. The teams conclude the series on Sunday, also with a 1 p.m. start.