Ninth Inning Antics Lead Baseball to a Split

ODESSA, Texas – Just like Thursday evening, both baseball games for St. Mary's came down to the wire against UT Permian Basin, as they dropped game one via the walkoff, 9-8, but held on for the 11-10 win in game two.
 
Sophomore Trey Guajardo (San Juan, Texas) was 3-for-4 at the plate over the doubleheader, scoring six runs after also drawing two walks and getting hit by a pitch. The middle infield tandem of the "Jakes," senior Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) and sophomore Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) each had four RBIs to pace the team.
 
The two clubs conclude the four-game series on Saturday with first pitch at 1 p.m.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
The Falcons rushed out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Rattlers fought back to take the 7-5 lead with two runs in the third, three in the fifth and two in the sixth, but UTPB scored three in the bottom of the seventh for the 8-7 victory.
 
Junior Caden Floyd (Corpus Christi, Texas) started on the hill for the Rattlers. He allowed five runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in a no decision. Senior Dylan Bells (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) fell to 1-5 on the year after allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. Bells only allowed three base runners in innings three through six, retiring the side in the third and sixth, but hit the leadoff batter in the seventh and gave up a pair of home runs sandwiched around a pair of K's.
 
Guajardo was 3-for-3 out of the ninth spot in the batting order, including his second triple of the season, scoring three times. The top of the lineup recorded five of the other six hits for the Rattlers as Mares was 2-for-4, Elizondo 1-for-3 and junior Rudy Solis (El Paso, Texas) 2-for-3.
 
Freshman Tyler Pauly (Fisher, Texas) got the Rattlers going with a double to left in the third. Guajardo followed with a triple to centerfield for the first run of the game and Mares drove in Guajardo with a hard-hit ball that ricocheted to the second baseman, but allowed the run to score.
 
In the fifth, Pauly again got things started with a walk, while Guajardo singled to right. Mares doubled to left to score one and Elizondo singled to center for a pair of RBIs and knotted the score at 5-5.
 
Guajardo singled to right with one out in the sixth, Mares singled to center and the pair scored on a double to right by Solis for the first lead of the day. UTPB pulled off the win after hitting a pair of home runs in the bottom of the seventh for the 8-7 win.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
Both teams had plenty of offense in the nightcap as the Rattlers scored 11 runs on 15 hits, while the Falcons scored 10 on 13 hits, with eight of the runs coming in their final at bat as they almost pulled off their third-straight walkoff victory but junior Brett Brown (Sinton, Texas) buckled down to strike out the final two batters after allowing two runs on two hits prior to fanning the pair.
 
Junior Clay Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas) won his second-straight decision. He pitched five innings, allowing two runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts and is now 2-1 on the season after returning to the hill from playing exclusively in the outfield for the last month.
 
Six different Rattlers had two hits in the game, while Guajardo scored three times despite being 0-for-1 at the plate. Sophomore Ty Luper (League City, Texas) led the squad with three RBIs.
 
UTPB scored one in the first and one in the fourth for the early 2-0 lead. The Rattlers scored the next 11 with two in the fifth, four in the sixth and five in the seventh before the Falcons stormed back with eight in the seventh as both teams batted around in the final inning.
 
The Rattlers had base runners in each of the first four innings, but were unable to push a run across until the fifth.
 
Goins doubled to left center to kick off the inning and Guajardo walked. Mares hit into a fielder's choice, but an error by the shortstop left the bases loaded. Elizondo hit into a double play but Goins scored and a single to left by Bradford plated Guajardo to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Solis singled to being the sixth and freshman Jorge Cuevas (El Paso) pinch ran for him. On a failed pickoff move, Cuevas hustled to third on the throwing error by the pitcher. McGowen walked and Cuevas scored on a wild pitch. Luper singled to left center to score McGowen from second and Luper stole second base and pushed on to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Guajardo walked, forcing the Falcons to the bullpen, and he stole second, which allowed him to score on a single to left by Mares for the 6-2 lead.
 
A double off the bat of junior Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi) started things in the seventh. Cuevas singled to right center and Broughton moved to third on a wild pitch after having to hold at second on the Cuevas hit. McGowen walked to load the bases and a single to right by Luper scored two. McGowen scored on a wild pitch and Goins singled to left to put runners on the corners. Guajardo was plunked to once again load the bases. With two outs, Elizondo tripled to right to score two more and give the Rattlers an 11-2 advantage.
 
Six hits and a pair of walks for the Falcons brought the score to 11-10, but Brown struck out the final two looking to preserve the win.