Softball Bounces Back for Split on Opening Day of LSC Play

SILVER CITY, N.M. — In the Lone Star Conference openers for both teams, the St. Mary's University and Western New Mexico University softball teams split a doubleheader. The Mustangs won game one, 6-2, while the Rattlers bounced back for an 11-5 victory in game two.
 
The Rattlers are now 6-8 on the season and 1-1 in Lone Star action, while the Mustangs are 4-5 overall and 1-1 in league play. The two teams wrap up the regular season series on Saturday at Noon MT/1 p.m. CT.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Junior Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) didn't waste any time in giving the Rattlers the early lead, clearing the centerfield fence with two outs in the top of the first inning. 
 
The Mustangs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second, plated one in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth for the 6-1 advantage.
 
The Rattlers mounted a two-out rally in the sixth. Sophomore Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) got it started with a single to third base. Holder walked and sophomore Emily Ayala (San Antonio) singled back up the middle to load the bases and junior Jadyn Abrego (San Antonio), pinch-hitting, drew a walk for the 6-2 final.
 
The four hits for the Rattlers were one each by the top four in the lineup. 
 
Junior Madeline Bloom (Poway, Calif.) dropped to 0-3 on the year after giving up four runs on four hits through three innings. Senior Sara Robertson (Lorena, Texas) worked the final three frames, allowing two runs on four hits with one walk.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
The Rattlers once again jumped onto the scoreboard early, this time plating three runs in the first. With one out, sophomore Abigail Dela Rosa (La Grange, Texas) walked and came around to score when Tennill blasted a two-strike shot over the centerfield fence. Holder hit her second home run of the day going down the left field line as the Rattlers went back-to-back for the first time this season.
 
The Mustangs knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the first off two walks, two hits and an StMU error but the Rattlers went right back to work in the second.
 
Senior Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) singled to left-center to start things and with one out senior Destiny Salinas (San Antonio) walked. Senior Lauren Gonzales (San Antonio), playing in her first games of the season, singled up the middle to load the bases and Dela Rosa hit a sacrifice fly to left field. The throw in went off line, allowing Salinas to score as well. Gonzales stole third and scored on a ground-rule double off the bat of Tennill that bounced over the left field wall for the 6-3 lead.
 
WNMU got two of the runs back in the bottom of the second on three hits, including a solo home run for the 6-5 tally. The score remained 6-5 until the fifth when senior Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas) tripled to right center and Gomez followed with a double to almost the same spot to increase the Rattlers lead to two, 7-5.
 
In the sixth with one out, Gonzales walked. Dela Rosa was initially called out at first, but Head Coach Donna Fields appealed and upon review, Dela Rosa beat the throw for an infield single. Tennill walked and Holder ricocheted a double off the fence in left-center for a pair of RBI. Ayala grounded out but scored Tennill from third, and Reyes drove a shot into left-center for a single and another RBI for the 11-5 final tally.
 
As they did in the first game, the top four in the lineup did a lot of the damage as each scored twice. Five different Rattlers posted two hits, and Tennill and Holder drove in three runs each.
 
Sophomore Breanna Ford (Corpus Christi, Texas) was in the circle for 2 1/3 innings in a no decision. She allowed one earned run on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Abrego was fantastic in relief, allowing only five hits with six strikeouts over 4 2/3 to move to 1-0 on the year in her third appearance.
 
Abrego's six strikeouts ties her career-high from Feb. 11, 2022 against Hillsdale.