Softball Drops Doubleheader to Aggies

SAN ANTONIO – After a 20-hour delay due to rain in San Antonio and a change of venue, the St. Mary's and Cameron softball teams finally got the first two games of the three-game series in, though the Rattlers came up short in both, 5-3 and 8-3 at Cornerstone Christian High School.
 
The Rattlers fall to 20-13 on the season and 10-10 in Lone Star Conference play, while the Aggies improve to 17-12 overall and 14-9 in league action.
 
The two teams return to The Park at StMU for game three on Thursday at Noon. The game will also return to streaming on the Lone Star Conference Network.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Both junior Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas) and sophomore Kaylynne Ruiz (Eagle Pass, Texas) were 2-for-3 at the plate and the pair drove in all three runs for the Gold & Blue in the 5-3 loss.
 
Sophomore Jadyn Abrego (San Antonio) worked 5.2 innings in the circle, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout. The loss drops Abrego to 4-3. Junior Sara Robertson pitched the final 1.1 innings with two hits and a walk.
 
The Aggies scored first on a pair of StMU errors in the top of the second for the 1-0 lead.
 
Sophomore Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) hit a bloop double in between three players on the right field line to lead off the Rattlers half of the second. Reyes drove Holder in with a single to left center to knot the score at 1-1.
 
Starting pitcher Josie Swafford cleared the right field wall to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead, but home runs by Reyes and Ruiz over the left field fence to give the Rattlers the lead in the bottom of the fourth, 3-2.
 
A three-run inning on five hits, including back-to-back home runs in the sixth gave the advantage back to CU, 5-3.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
The Rattlers looked to be mounting a comeback, scoring three runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to 5-3, but the Aggies were able to get all three runs back in the seventh for the 8-3 win.
 
Junior Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) and sophomore Lauryn Ramos (Marion, Texas) each posted two hits in the nightcap, while Ruiz collected two more RBI. 
 
Senior Catalina Cavazos (Houston) gave up seven earned runs on 11 hits with one walk and four strikeouts to fall to 9-5 this season. Sophomore Savannah Youngblood (Kingwood, Texas) pitched the final inning, with two hits and a walk.
 
With one out in the sixth, Lauren Garcia (San Antonio) walked and Reyes was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Ruiz narrowly missed a home run, hitting the fence in centerfield for a double to clear the bases. Ramos beat out a single to shortstop and junior Destiy Salinas (San Antonio) pulled off a successful squeeze to plate Ruiz and cut the deficit to two, 5-3. Cameron got all three runs back in the top of the seventh for the 8-3 final.