Two Close Games at Dickson Lead to Split with Rattlers and Patriots

SAN ANTONIO – In a pair of close contests, the St. Mary's Baseball team split a doubleheader against UT Tyler on Saturday, dropping game one 5-4 in eight innings and winning 6-4 in game two.
 
Junior Clay Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas) had a heck-of-a-day for the Rattlers (19-26, 17-26 Lone Star Conference). He hit .667 in the twinbill (4-for-6) with two doubles, stole three bases, walked twice and drove in three runs on offense. He also pitched six innings in game one in a no decision, allowing three earned runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. 
 
The rest of the Rattlers weren't too far behind Bradford offensively as the team hit .345 over the two games. Sophomore Jake Elizondo (San Antonio) was 4-for-7 with three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base and he was a part of all four double plays the Gold & Blue turned.
 
The Rattlers and Patriots (26-17) conclude the series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. with Senior Day festivities starting at 12:30 p.m.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
For the second-straight game against the Patriots, the Rattlers recorded more hits but scored fewer times, falling 5-4 in eight. StMU had nine hits, while UTT collected seven and were helped by three Rattler errors.
 
Bradford was 3-for-3 with a walk and two doubles and had the only multi-hit game, though Elizondo scored twice after walking in the fifth. 
 
The Rattlers swiped three bags in the first inning, with Bradford taking both second and third and Elizondo third in a double steal with Bradford, helping the team to the early 1-0 lead as junior Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) drove in Elizondo with a high chopper groundout to third base. It was the third-straight RBI for Broughton in the series as he had both for the Rattlers in Friday night's game.
 
In the second inning, the Rattlers added a run when sophomore Ty Luper (League City, Texas) doubled to left and came around to score on a single to right center that rolled all the way to the fence off the bat of sophomore Devin Goins (San Antonio).
 
Bradford doubled on a sharply hit ball to left center that went to the wall, allowing the speedy Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) to score from first base, who led off the third frame with a single up the middle for the 3-0 score.
 
The Patriots scored one run in the fifth and the Rattlers immediately answered with one in the bottom half of the frame for the 4-1 tally. With two outs, Elizondo drew a four-pitch walk and scored on a single to left center by Bradford.
 
UTT tied the game at 4-4 with three runs in the sixth and scored one in the eighth for the come-from-behind 5-4 win.
Bradford tallied a no decision on the mound, giving up three runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Senior Connor Schmidt (Devine, Texas) fell to 2-5 on the year, allowing an unearned run on two hits with four strikeouts in two innings.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
After the Patriots jumped out to the 2-0 lead in the top of the second, the Rattlers scored six unanswered with one in the third and five in the fourth for the 6-2 advantage.
 
With one out in the third, McGowen singled up the middle and was erased on a fielder's choice off the bat of Mares. Elizondo singled through the left side and Bradford worked a walk to load the bases. Broughton was hit in the middle of his back to plate a run.
 
The Rattlers batted around in the fourth. Juarez doubled down the left field line and freshman Tyler Pauly (Fisher, Texas) singled back up the middle to plate senior catcher Brian Juarez (Corpus Christi). Senior Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) hit a single that got underneath both a diving third baseman and short stop. With two outs, Elizondo singled to third and Bradford blasted a single through the left side of the infield to score a pair. After a pitching change for the Patriots, Broughton singled to right to score Elizondo and junior Rudy Solis (El Paso, Texas) singled through the right side to plate Bradford for the 6-2 lead.
 
The Patriots got one run back on a sacrifice fly in the fifth and added one in the seventh for the 6-4 final.
 
Junior Caden Floyd (Corpus Christi) pitched six solid innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with two walks. He threw to high school teammate Juarez and was extremely efficient, throwing just 81 pitches in the six innings. Sophomore Andrew Girod (San Antonio) earned the first save of his StMU career, striking out one and getting a ground ball double play to end the game – needing just seven pitches.