Softball Stumbles in Final Regular Season Series

OKLAHOMA CITY – The St. Mary's Softball team had to battle both Oklahoma Christian and Mother Nature in the final regular season series of the year, dropping a 10-9 heartbreaker in eight innings over two days and then dropping the finale 6-1 on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Rattlers wrap up the regular season with a 31-24 record and have clinched a spot in the Lone Star Conference Tournament, which will begin on Thursday at UT Tyler, which gets to host by virtue of their regular season championship. In league play, StMU was 21-21. 
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Sophomore Madeline Bloom started in the circle both days, getting a no decision. She allowed seven runs on 10 hits with one walk and one strikeout. Senior Catalina Cavazos (Houston) took the loss after pitching the final 1.1 innings. She surrendered two earned runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout.
 
Before the game was halted on Friday due to rain, the Rattlers led 6-1. Both offenses took advantage of the break, combining for 12 runs on Saturday morning.
 
Destiny Salinas (San Antonio) singled to left to open the game, moved up one base each on back-to-back groundouts by Lauren Gonzales (San Antonio) and Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas) and scored on a single to left by Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) for the 1-0 lead.
 
Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) kicked off the second frame with a single back up the middle. Consecutive walks issued to Judson graduates Lauryn Ramos and Emily Ayala loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Mackenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig, Texas) doubled the Rattlers lead.
 
The Eagles got one run back in the bottom of the second on three hits for the 2-1 tally.
 
For the third-straight inning the leadoff hitter reached for the Rattlers as Reyes singled to left. Holder moved her up with a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher. Kaylynne Ruiz (Eagle Pass, Texas) walked and freshman Abigail Dela Rosa (LaGrange, Texas) pinch ran for her. With two outs, Ramos doubled to center to plate both runners. Ayala smashed a ball over the fence between the scoreboard in center and the flagpole in right center for the 6-1 advantage.
 
With runners on first and second for the Eagles, the game was suspended. On Saturday morning, the Eagles took advantage of the night off, plating four runs on four hits to close within one, 6-5.
 
Ayala doubled to left center to kick off the sixth frame and fellow freshman Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) came into run for her. She hustled to third on a wild pitch. Dugi hit a ball to the right side of the infield and the second baseman stared Tennill back to third, allowing Dugi to reach on a fielder's choice. Salinas singled through the narrow gap between the third baseman and shortstop to plate Tennill. After a pitching change for the Eagles, Dugi and Salinas moved up on a passed ball. Gonzales walked to load the bases and Reyes collected an RBI with a walk. Holder hit a sacrifice fly to left field and all three runners were able to advance for the 9-5 lead.
 
The Eagles were able to knot the score at 9-9 in the bottom of the seventh and win on a throwing error in the eighth, 10-9.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
The Rattlers managed only three hits in the nightcap, with Salinas, Gonzales and Ayala each recording one in the 6-1 loss.
 
OC took a 6-0 lead with a four run second and two in the third.
 
Gonzales tripled over the centerfielder's head to begin the fourth and scored on a sacrifice fly with one out off the bat of Holder to left for the Rattlers lone run of the game.
 
Ayala started in the circle, moving to 0-1 on the year after allowing five earned runs on six hits with three walks in two innings. Sophomore Savannah Youngblood (Kingwood, Texas) gave up only three hits and retired the final eight batters she faced.