Baseball Wins Series With 12-6 Sunday Victory

SAN ANTONIO – Another extremely crooked inning lifted the St. Mary's Baseball team to a 12-6 win on Sunday against Texas A&M International and gave the Rattlers their second series win of the season.
 
Both teams cleared out their bullpens in the series finale as the Rattlers (14-15, 13-15 Lone Star) used six pitchers and the Dustdevils (14-20, 13-19 Lone Star) seven as the two teams fight for seeding into the playoffs.
 
Junior Matt Bundy (Whitehouse, Texas) was credited with the victory for the Gold & Blue as he pitched a clean seventh inning and the Rattlers took the lead for good in the bottom half of the frame. He is now 1-0 on the year.
 
The Rattlers scored their 12 runs on nine hits with three Dustdevil errors. TAMIU scored six runs on 13 hits with two StMU miscues.
 
All nine positions in the batting order reached base at least once, while senior Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) and juniors Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) and Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) each had two hits. Elizondo also paced the team with three RBI and two stolen bases – including home.
 
TAMIU scored two runs on two hits with one Rattler error in the top of the first for the early lead.
 
The Rattlers answered in the bottom of the second. Parrish led off with a double over the left fielder's head. Rudy Solis (El Paso, Texas) was hit by a pitch and both moved up 90 feet on a groundout by Devin Goins (San Antonio). Elizondo singled back up the middle to plate both. Senior Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) hit a home run to left center for the 4-2 advantage.
 
A two-run home run by Daniel Hernandez knotted the score for the Dustdevils in the top of the fourth, 4-4.
 
St. Mary's immediately regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Solis walked after a 10-pitch at bat. He moved to second on a wild pitch and scampered to third on an overthrow of second base by the catcher. Elizondo singled to center with one out for the 5-4 lead.
 
For the second time, TAMIU tied the game with one run in the top of the second as they successfully pulled off the safety squeeze with one out and the bases loaded.
 
Mares singled to the deepest part of the infield to lead off the seventh. Trey Guajardo (San Juan, Texas) walked and Clay Bradford (Atascocita, Texas) followed with a single through the right side to score Mares. Brandon Broughton (Corpus Christi, Texas) walked on a pitch clock violation and the Dustdevils went to the bullpen. Parrish singled through the gap on the left side of the infield to score two. A failed pickoff move to second base moved both runners up 90 feet. Goins doubled to the fence on the left field line to score Broughton and a wild pitch plated Parrish. Elizondo walked and forced another pitching change. He stole second and moved to third when the catcher overthrew the pitcher at home as the pitch was wild, allowing Goins to score. With two outs and Mares at the plate, Elizondo stole home for the seventh run of the inning and the 12-5 lead.
 
TAMIU got one run back on two hits and an error in the top of the eighth for the 12-6 final tally.
 
The Rattlers play their second and final non-conference game on Tuesday, welcoming Our Lady of the Lake to Dickson Stadium for a 6 p.m. first pitch. The Rattlers