Softball Stumbles in DH at Lubbock Christian

LUBBOCK, Texas – The two games of the doubleheader couldn't have been any different for the St. Mary's Softball team on Friday as they dropped a heartbreaker 4-3 in 10 innings in the first game and then witnessed an offensive explosion by #11 Lubbock Christian in game two, falling 11-1.
 
The Rattlers (20-10, 10-7 Lone Star Conference) look to avoid the sweep on Saturday at Noon as the two teams conclude the three-game series.
 
Game one marked the fourth extra-inning game of the season for the Rattlers as they are now 2-2 in contests that go longer than seven frames, while the second game was the first time the Gold & Blue have been run-ruled since March 7, 2021 (at #19 Texas A&M Kingsville).
 
GAME ONE RECAP
The Rattlers struck early, remaining aggressive on the base paths as they have all season. With one out in the first inning, junior Lauren Gonzales (San Antonio) singled to second. She immediately stole second base and moved to third on a passed ball that walked freshman Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas). Gonzales then stole home, while Tennill took second. A groundout by Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) moved Tennill up a base and she scored on a single through the right side by Lauren Garcia (San Antonio).
 
The Lady Chaps (23-8, 13-7 Lone Star) immediately answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first on two hits and an error, but senior Catalina Cavazos (Houston) buckled down and got out of the bases loaded jam without any further damage.
 
Neither team broke onto the scoreboard again until the fifth inning and it was again Gonzales who got things going. She beat out an infield single to second with one out, tied the school record for the third time this year with her third swipe of a bag and scored from second on an error by the first baseman off a throw from the shortstop.
 
A leadoff homerun in the bottom of the sixth by LCU again tied the score at 3-3. The Rattlers had the bases loaded in both the eighth and ninth but couldn't capitalize and the Lady Chaps walked it off in the 10th on two hits sandwiched around a walk. 
 
Cavazos went the distance, allowing three earned runs on eight hits over 9.1 innings. She walked four and struck out six to move to 9-4. Taylor Franco improved to 9-6 for LCU, pitching the entirety. She gave up two earned runs on eight hits with four walks and nine strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
Once again, the Rattlers offense struck first, scoring one run in the top of the third inning. With one out, sophomore Kaylynne Ruiz (Eagle Pass, Texas) walked and freshman Abigail Dela Rosa (LaGrange, Texas) entered as a pinch runner. Dela Rosa stole third, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to left off the bat of Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas).
 
The remainder of the offense went the way of the Lady Chaps they plated two in the third and nine in the fourth for the 11-1 victory.
 
Sophomore Madeline Bloom (Poway, Calif.) was tagged with the loss as she moves to 5-4.