Baseball Blasts Four Home Runs in Opening Day Win

SAN ANTONIO – The long ball featured prominently on opening day of the 2023 season for the St. Mary's Baseball as the Rattlers hit four in a 6-3 win over UT Permian Basin.
 
Senior first baseman Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) launched two – including a three-run blast in the seventh to give the Rattlers (1-0) the lead for good. Joining Broughton in the home run barrage were junior Clay Bradford (Atoscocita, Texas) and senior Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) who each hit solo shots.
 
Mares, a preseason NCBWA All-Region selection, went 4-for-5 at the plate including a double down the left field line where he sent a shot past the third baseman who had crept in on the grass anticipating a bunt. The four hits tie a career-high for the senior and is the fourth time he's achieved the feat.
 
Broughton added a single through the right side to go 3-for-4 on the day with four RBI and Bradford doubled to right center in the seventh ahead of Broughton's home run to go 2-for-3.
 
The pitching tandem of senior Josh Buske (San Antonio) and Andrew Girod (San Antonio) were extremely efficient on the mound. 
 
Buske worked four perfect innings before the Falcons (0-1) scored three in the fifth on a home run by Austin Hall. Buske ended in a no decision after allowing three runs on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Girod pitched the final four innings, scattering two hits with one walk and four strikeouts, needing just 52 pitches to close out the game.
 
The Rattlers four home runs is already over 20 percent of last season's home run total of 19. 
 
Neither defense committed an error in a game that saw the two teams combine for 15 hits.
 
The clubs take the field on Sunday for a doubleheader with the first pitch of game one slated for 2 p.m. at Dickson Stadium.