Baseball's Bats Lift Them to DH Sweep

SAN ANTONIO – The St. Mary's Baseball Team put up several crooked number innings in the doubleheader sweep over Cameron on Saturday, winning 15-9 and 10-2.
 
The Rattlers (15-22, 13-22 Lone Star Conference) put together back-to-back five run innings in the first game and scored eight after sending 12 men to the plate in the second frame of game two.
 
Junior Clay Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas) sparked the Rattlers, winning game one on the hill and going 3-for-6 with seven RBIs over the twinbill. Senior centerfielder Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) was also 4-for-5 with three RBIs, four runs scored and four walks as the Rattlers combined for 25 runs on 22 hits.
 
The two teams conclude the series on Sunday at Dickson Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas) did everything he could to help his own cause. He went 2-for-3 with five RBI at the plate and on the mound, he allowed four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in 5.2 innings to move to 1-1 on the season. It was the first time Bradford pitched since March 5th and his first start since the opening weekend.
 
Senior Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Both senior Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) and sophomore Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) scored three times each as each spot in the batting order reached base at least once.
 
Mares singled past his own defensive position to lead off the game and Elizondo drew a five-pitch walk. Bradford blasted his fourth home run of the year, clearing the left field fence for the 3-0 advantage.
 
With one out in the second, sophomore Trey Guajardo (San Juan, Texas) singled up the middle and moved to second when Mares did the same. Both advanced 90 feet on a groundout to first off the bat of Elizondo. Guajardo scored on a wild pitch and Mares scored on a single through the right side by Bradford for the 5-0 lead.
 
Cameron scored one run each in the third and fourth to close within three, 5-2.
 
Guajardo walked on four-straight pitches to lead off the Rattlers half of the fourth and scampered to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Elizondo walked and the pair swiped the next bags. A wild pitch on ball four to Bradford scored a run and allowed Bradford to go to second, forcing the Aggies to go to the bullpen. Broughton took the first pitch back up the middle, scoring Elizondo. McGowen blasted a shot over the left fielder's head that bounced off the fence for a double and RBI. A wild pitch plated Bradford and freshman Dillon McKee – making the first start of his career -- walked to load the bags and bring the score to 10-2.
 
Bradford retired the side in order and Mares got the offense back to work with a four-pitch walk. A single down the right field line by Elizondo put Rattlers on the corners and Bradford drove in his fifth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. After another pitching change, Broughton hit a two-run home run over the left field wall. McGowen doubled to right center and Tyler Pauly (Fisher, Texas), pinch hitting, took a ball back up the middle to score McGowen from second. After a wild pitch moved Pauly up, he scored on a single to right by sophomore Devin Goins (San Antonio) for the second-straight five run inning and a 15-2 lead.
 
The Aggies plated three runs in the top of the sixth and four in the seventh to make it a lot closer, 15-9.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
The Rattlers kept the bats going in game two, scoring one in the first and eight in the second inning to lead 9-1. In the second frame, the Gold & Blue sent 12 men to the plate. Both McGowen and junior Rudy Solis (El Paso, Texas) walked. Senior Brian Juarez (Corpus Christi) singled through past the shortstop to load the bases. Juarez was erased on a fielder's choice off the bat of McKee, but Guajardo was plunked to again fill up the bags. Mares hit a ball sharply to the third baseman, who overthrew home, allowing Mares to move to second on the fielder's choice. Elizondo also reached on a fielder's choice when the shortstop threw home, but the catcher dropped the ball, scoring Guajardo. Bradford singled to right field for another RBI. After both moved up on a wild pitch, McGowen singled to left and advanced to second on a heads up play, driving in a pair. Solis singled up the middle and McGowen scored from second for the 9-1 tally.
 
Each team scored one run in the fifth for the 10-2 final tally. Juarez doubled down the left field line, McKee drew a walk and Guajardo doubled down the right field line.
 
Junior Caden Floyd (Corpus Christi) won his first decision of the year after pitching a solid five innings. He allowed two runs on eight hits with three walks and struck out a career-best five batters in his first start of the year. Sophomore Karlo Kalifa (Round Rock, Texas) gave up only one hit, walking one and striking out two in the final two innings.
 
The Rattlers defense helped out the pitchers, turning two double plays in the game and Mares added his fourth stolen base of the weekend.