Softball Completes Sweep Over Javelinas

KINGSVILLE, Texas – The St. Mary's Softball team completed the sweep over Texas A&M Kingsville with a game that on paper looked remarkably similar to the second game on Tuesday in no team was able to gain momentum early and the Rattlers took charge of miscues by the defense late in a 6-1 win.
 
Sophomore Jadyn Abrego (San Antonio) saw her first action of the 2023 season, picking up the victory in the circle. She worked 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing only three hits. She walked five and struck out one. Senior Catalina Cavazos (Houston) recorded her second save of the year, pitching the final 1.1 frames, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
 
The Rattlers (13-4, 4-2 Lone Star) scored their six runs on five hits with each recorded by a different player. Junior Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas) drove in two runs – on two sacrifice flies, and sophomore Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) had the lone extra base hit for the team with a double.
 
Junior Mackenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig, Texas) walked to begin the game. With two outs, sophomore Kaylynne Ruiz (Eagle Pass, Texas) singled to right field and Dugi scored on a fielding error by the right fielder for the 1-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the fourth with runners on first and second, the Javelinas tried to score on a single up the middle, but Reyes threw home to Holder who applied the tag several feet in front of the plate to keep TAMUK off the scoreboard.
 
Junior Lauren Gonzales (San Antonio) laid down a bunt down the third base line to lead off the sixth, stole second on the second pitch of Dugi's at bat and wisely took third a few pitches later when no one was covering third on bunt coverage. Dugi walked. Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate Gonzales for the 2-0 advantage.
 
Sophomore Lauryn Ramos (Marion, Texas) drew a walk after a long at bat to lead off the seventh. Junior Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) laid a bunt down the first base line and the catcher threw the ball a bit wide, allowing Ramos to get to third and put runners on the corners. Gomez stole second and Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas), pinch hitting, sent a line drive back up the middle for the third run. On a bunt down the third base line off the bat of Gonzales, the third baseman threw home, but not in time to tag out Gomez. Dugi bunted for a single and an overthrow of first base by the third baseman scored the fifth run. Dugi stole second and Reyes hit her second sacrifice fly of the game, this one to right field to score Gonzales for the 6-0 tally. 
 
The Javelinas got one run back in the bottom of the seventh, but Cavazos recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the game, 6-1.
 
The Rattlers return home for a five-game home stretch, beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 28 with a doubleheader against Our Lady of the Lake. First pitch for the first game is slated for 5 p.m.