Softball Goes Extra Innings in Both; Falls in Quarterfinals

TYLER, Texas –St. Mary's Softball fans were treated to bonus softball in both games on Friday at the Lone Star Conference Championship and both games ended via the long ball, one for the Rattlers and one against.
 
St. Mary's (36-17) won a thrilling 1-0 decision in the first round over rival St. Edward's in 11 innings, but fell in a heartbreaker 7-6 in eight frames against #2 Texas A&M Kingsville.
 
The Rattlers will now wait until Monday to find out if they've done enough to advance to their 16th NCAA Regional in 22 years. The selection show airs on NCAA.com at 9 a.m.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Freshman Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) had the first hit of the tournament with two outs in the bottom of the first, singling up the middle and she had the last hit of the first game, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Rattlers to the 1-0 victory.
 
Junior Catalina Cavazos (Houston) got the win in the circle, pitching seven innings in relief. She and freshman Jadyn Abrego (San Antonio) combined to allow only two hits, striking out seven and walking five. Abrego worked the first four frames before yielding to Cavazos, who improved to 19-3 on the season.
 
The Rattlers tallied 10 hits in the game, with two each by Holder, senior Amber Gonzales (Austin, Texas) and freshman Cassidy Mageors (Freeport, Texas).
 
St. Mary's went a perfect 5-0 against St. Edward's in 2022, winning three of the five games in extra innings and four of the five by one run.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
Despite out-hitting the number two team in the country, 11 to 9, the Rattlers couldn't hold onto the lead, falling 7-6 in eight innings in the quarterfinals. 
 
Abrego worked the first 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits in her second-straight no decision of the day. She handed the ball to Cavazos, who moved to 19-4 on the season after giving up three earned runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
 
Sophomore Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) was 3-for-4 at the plate, while Mageors and senior Bari Christian (San Antonio) each had two base knocks and Gonzales tallied three of the five RBIs.
 
The Rattlers scored three runs on three hits in the top of the third inning. Senior Abigale Carney (El Paso, Texas) started things off with a single to right-center. Gonzales laid down a bunt and the catcher attempted to get Carney at second, but she narrowly beat the throw. With one out, Mageors singled up the middle to score Carney. Senior Victoria Aldridge (Elgin, Texas) followed with a groundout to second base, but Gonzales scurried home and a Jayme Johns (Elgin) bunt forced a throwing error to plate Mageors for the 3-0 lead.
 
With a runner aboard after an error in the bottom of the third, Abrego fielded a ball hit sharply back to her in the circle and she went to second for the double play to get her offense right back to work. Gomez beat out an infield single to short stop and Christian hit a slow roller to short. A groundout by Carney advanced the runners 60 feet and Gonzales blasted a shot off the wall to score both runs, though she was thrown out by a great throw at third base for the 5-0 advantage.
 
The Javelinas got a three-run home run by Kayla Gonzales to cut into the Rattlers lead in the bottom of the fifth, 5-3. With two outs and a runner on second, TAMUK got a single, walk and double to knot the score at 5-5, but a great throw from Carney to Gomez to Holder saved the winning run and forced extra innings for the second-straight game.
 
Gomez led off the eighth with a single down the right field line. Christian followed with a double to right and with one out, Gonzales hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to give the lead back to the Rattlers, 6-5, but the Javelinas scored a pair in the bottom of the eighth on their second home run of the game for the 7-6 win.