Softball Snaps Skid With 8-2 Win in Finale Against Aggies

SAN ANTONIO – Coming home is always good for what ails you and the St. Mary's Softball team snapped a six-game losing skid back in The Park at StMU with an 8-2 victory over Cameron on Thursday afternoon.
 
Sophomore Madeline Bloom (Poway, Calif.) improved to 6-4 in 2023 with the complete-game victory. She gave up two runs on six hits with two walks and one strikeout, throwing 101 pitches.
 
Sophomore Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) collected three of the team's eight RBI, while junior Destiny Salinas (San Antonio) added two in her third start of the season. Junior Lauren Gonzales (San Antonio) was 3-for-4 on the day, scoring two runs and stealing two bases.
 
St. Mary's struck first with one run in the first inning. Salinas walked after a nine-pitch at bat, stole second base and moved up on a 20-foot single down the third-base line by the speedy Gonzales. Gonzales stole second and the second baseman overthrew third as Salinas tried to get back to third. She switched directions and headed home, but a heads up play by the third baseman threw out Salinas at the plate. Freshman Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) hit a ball to third base, but the throw home was not in time to tag out Gonzales.
 
The Aggies took the lead on a two-run home run in the third that ricocheted off the glove of Gonzales after she ran a long way, almost pulling off a spectacular catch.
 
With two outs in the fourth, junior Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas) reached on an error by the shortstop, stole second and scored on a single to left by junior Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas). Gomez smartly moved to second on the throw home and was able to score on a bloop single to center off the bat of sophomore Kaylynne Ruiz (Eagle Pass, Texas). Sophomore Lauryn Ramos (Marion, Texas) doubled over the head of the left fielder and Salinas hit a ball into right center that caused confusion between the fielders, getting her to second and scoring both runners. Gonzales slapped a sharply hit ball between the third baseman and short to put Rattler on the corners. Gonzales swiped second and with a 2-0 count on Tennill, the Aggies went to the bullpen. The next two pitches were also balls to Tennill to load the bases. Holder also walked on four-straight pitches for the fifth run of the frame and the 6-2 lead.
 
Ramos walked to kick off the sixth but was erased on a fielder's choice bunt by Salinas. Gonzales laid down a great bunt in front of home plate for a single. With two outs, Holder laced a double down the left field line for the 8-2 advantage and forced the Aggies back to the bullpen. Jocelyn Bright got the last out for the 8-2 final.
 
St. Mary's begins a three-game series at Angelo State on Saturday. First pitch for game one of the doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m.