Softball Wins Extra Inning Thriller for Tuesday Sweep

KINGSVILLE, Texas – Playing their first true road games of the 2023 season, the St. Mary's Softball team swept a doubleheader from Texas A&M Kingsville on Tuesday, winning 8-5 and 5-0 in nine innings.
 
The nightcap was scoreless until the top of the ninth when the Rattlers (12-4, 3-2 Lone Star) exploded for five runs on four hits with one Javelina (3-7, 0-2 Lone Star) error to win their third straight.
 
Senior Lauren Garcia (San Antonio) posted two hits in each game to pace the offense, while Mackenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig, Texas), Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas), Kaylynne Ruiz (Eagle Pass, Texas) and Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) all had hits in both games.
 
The Rattlers and Javelinas conclude the series on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Kingsville.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Senior Catalina Cavazos (Houston) threw her seventh complete game of the year, improving to 7-2. She struck out seven and didn't walk a single batter, giving up only two earned runs.
 
The Rattlers scored eight runs on 11 hits with Reyes, Garcia and Gonzales all posting two-hit games and sophomore Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) had the only extra-base hit in the contest, doubling to left field in the third to knot the score at 2-2.
 
StMU took the lead for good in the fifth inning, scoring three and adding three more in the seventh for the eight runs, taking advantage of Javelina errors in both rallies.
 
In the fifth, Gonzales beat out an infield hit to shortstop, stole second and moved to third on a Dugi single. Dugi stole second and a walk to Reyes loaded the bases. Holder reached on a misplayed ball by the shortstop and the Javelinas went to the bullpen. Freshman Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) pinch hit and scored Dugi on a sacrifice fly to left. Garcia singled down the right field line to reload the bags and Ramos followed with a sacrifice fly to center for the 5-2 score.
 
Kingsville got one run back in the bottom half of the inning and closed within one in the sixth.
 
Reyes started the seventh with a single to center and was bunted to second by Holder. Ruiz singled up the middle and moved to second on the throw home that wasn't in time as Reyes scored. Ramos reached first on a throwing error that allowed Ruiz to score for the 8-4 tally. TAMUK plated one in the seventh, but Cavazos got the last two outs for the victory.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
Sophomore Madeline Bloom (Poway, Calif.) earned the complete nine-inning game shutout to improve to 3-1 on the season with her second complete game of the year in a 5-0 win. She walked three, struck out two and worked out of a bases load jam in the bottom of the eighth to ignite the offense.

Ramos walked to begin the ninth. Gomez tried to sacrifice herself to advance the runner, but laid down a terrific bunt in front of the plate for a single. A throwing error moved Gomez to second and allowed Ramos to come around and score. Freshman Madison Guerrero (Castroville, Texas) singled through the 5-6 hole on the left side of the infield to put runners on the corner. Freshman Emily Ayala (San Antonio) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield in a pinch-hitting situation for the second run. Dugi beat out a throw on a bunt to the pitcher's circle. Both Dugi and Guerrero moved up a bag on a wild pitch and Reyes reached on a fielder's choice to get the lead runner, but Guerrero scored. Reyes and Dugi pulled off the successful double steal of second and home to give the Rattlers a 4-0 lead. Holder walked and Ruiz singled up the middle to plate Reyes for the fifth and final run of the game.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Bloom retired the side in order to lock down the win.