Baseball Wins Both Games at Nelson Wolff

SAN ANTONIO – For many years at V.J. Keefe Field, precursor to Dickson Stadium, the San Antonio Missions and St. Mary's shared the park and on Friday, the Missions graciously allowed the Rattlers to play at Nelson Wolff Stadium. The Rattlers responded with a doubleheader sweep, winning game one 5-4 in seven innings and the nine inning second game 9-7 over Eastern New Mexico.
 
The two teams relocate for the Saturday doubleheader, playing at UIW's Sullivan Field. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. The nine seniors on the StMU roster will be honored between the games.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
A monster home run that hit the batters' eye in centerfield by senior Ryan McGowen (San Antonio) in the bottom of the sixth was the difference for the Rattlers (21-23, 19-23 LSC) in the 5-4 victory.
 
The super seniors Jake Mares (Fort Worth, Texas) and McGowen scored all five runs with Mares going 3-for-4 with three runs and McGowen was 2-for-3 with the other two. Freshman Jacob King (San Antonio) was also 3-for-4 with three RBI.
 
Senior Connor Schmidt (Devine, Texas), who is used to pitching at Wolff after spending a summer on the college summer-league team, recorded a no decision after starting on the hill. He allowed three earned runs on eight hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Fellow senior Brett Brown (Sinton, Texas) improved to 1-1 with the win. He pitched 1.1 innings with one walk and two strikeouts and junior Andrew Girod (San Antonio) earned his sixth save, giving up only one hit in the seventh.
 
Mares didn't waste any time extending his hitting streak to 18 games, singling to centerfield to lead off the first. King followed with a single by the shortstop. Senior Clay Bradford (Atascocita, Texas) walked to load the bases. With one out, junior Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) hit a ball down the first base line. To give the runners time to move up a base, he stopped midway to first to create confusion. The first baseman threw home, but not in time to get the speedy Mares. Parrish took off for first but was thrown out as the pitcher was covering the bag.
 
The Greyhounds (21-22, 19-22 LSC) got one run back in the first on three hits, but Schmidt struck out the side to limit the damage.
 
With two outs in the second, freshman McGowen doubled down the right field line and moved to third on a single to center by Mares. Mares stole second base and both scored when King singled back up the middle for the 3-1 score.
 
After ENMU scored one in the top of the fourth, the Rattlers immediately answered. Mares singled up the middle and scored on a King double to the gap in left center.
 
A pair of Rattler errors and three hits helped ENMU tie the score in the fifth, but the McGowen home run gave StMU the 5-4 win.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
As he's done much of the season, Bradford helped his own cause, going 4-for-5 in the nightcap with four RBI as get got a no decision on the mound. He pitched 3.2 innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits and struck out two.
 
Freshman Kaleb Gauna (Hondo, Texas) worked 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with one walk and a career-high five strikeouts. Girod again picked up the save – giving him seven on the year – and moving him into sole possession of fifth on the StMU single season list.
 
King added another multi-hit game to his ledger, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI in the 9-7 win.
 
Eastern New Mexico scored two runs in the first, but once again the Rattlers had an immediate answer with three in the bottom half of the frame. Mares walked and King drove a single between short and third. Bradford cleared the right centerfield fence for the 3-2 lead.
 
After a 1-2-3 inning by Bradford in the second, the bats got back to work. With one out, McGowen singled up the middle and Mares pushed his hitting streak to 19-straight with a single to left. King singled to center and McGowen sped home. A passed ball advanced the two Jakes up 90 feet and Mares scored on a single to right by Bradford. With two outs, Bradford and King pulled off the successful double steal for a 6-2 score.
 
The Greyhounds cut their deficit in half with a pair of runs in the third. With one out, sophomore Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) singled through the right side of the infield and scampered to second on a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher. Junior Trey Guajardo (San Juan, Texas) singled to put Snakes on the corners and McGowen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mares hit a sacrifice fly down the right field line to have the scoreboard read 7-4.
 
Bradford led off the fourth with a ground-rule double to right field, moved to third on a balk and scored on a groundout by Parrish.
 
ENMU added a run in the fifth for the 8-5 score.
 
With one out in the sixth, Bradford singled up the middle and moved to third on a double down the left field line by Broughton. Parrish was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. Senior Rudy Solis (El Paso, Texas) popped out to shallow center, but Bradford tagged and scored for the sacrifice fly. The Greyhounds plated another two runs in the seventh for the 9-7 final.