Baseball Settles for Split After Almost Pulling Off Game Two Comeback

SAN ANTONIO — The St. Mary's University Baseball team almost pulled off the comeback in both games of the Friday doubleheader against UT Tyler, but had to settle for the split, winning game one 3-2 before dropping game two 6-5.
 
Brendan Concannon (Flower Mound, Texas), Hogan Heller (San Antonio) and Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) all had hits in both games, while senior Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) posted the only multi-hit game of the day, going 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI in the nightcap.
 
The Rattlers (2-4) and Patriots (3-3) continue the four-game series with game three on Saturday at 2 p.m. and conclude the set on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
The Patriots struck for a run in the top of the first on two hits. In the fourth, the Rattlers tied things up with a little help from UTT. With two outs, Heller reached on an error by the second baseman and scored on a double to center by senior Rudy Solis (El Paso, Texas).
 
UT Tyler immediately regained the lead in the top of the fifth on a home run to left field. In the home half of the inning Parrish answered with a no-doubt home run to left center to knot the game again at 2-2.
 
Heller started the seventh with a single to shallow center and sophomore Tristan Moreno (Seguin, Texas) pinch ran for him. Solis hit a great sacrifice bunt to the right of the pitching mound to move up Moreno and UTT elected to intentionally walk senior RJ Galvan (Alice, Texas). Dillon Lopez (San Antonio) drew a six-pitch walk to load the bases and Parrish was plunked on the first pitch he saw to end the game.
 
Senior Javier De Alejandro (San Antonio) allowed only one run on five hits with one walk in 3 2/3 innings. Senior Matt Bundy (Whitehouse, Texas) improved to 1-0 on the year with his 3 1/3 innings of work where he surrendered one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
St. Mary's jumped on top with three runs in the first, but a crooked six-run second inning gave the Patriots all they needed in the 6-5 final. The Rattlers tacked on a run in the fifth and the sixth, but couldn't complete the comeback.
 
Junior Karlo Kalifa (Round Rock, Texas), senior Brett Brown (Sinton, Texas) and sophomore Brody Ticer (San Antonio) all worked scoreless innings in relief after starter Carlos Flores Jr. (San Antonio) allowed six runs on three hits with two walks and four hit batters in the first 1 2/3 innings. Kalifa fanned four, while Ticer struck out three.
 
Concannon walked on eight pitches to kick off the first inning and he hustled to third on a single through the right side by Elizondo. Brooks hit a ball right through the 5-6 hole on the left side to plate Concannon. Heller drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Galvan hit a sharp grounder to the second baseman who flipped to shortstop for one out, but the throw to first went wide allowing Brooks to make it home after Elizondo scored for the 3-0 advantage.
 
Kyle Atkinson hit a home run into the Rattlers bullpen in right field to start the UT Tyler second and they tacked on five more with only one more hit and left the bases full of Patriots for the 6-3 lead.
 
Elizondo homered to left center with two outs in the bottom of the fifth for the fourth run and Galvan doubled to left center on the first pitch of the sixth inning, moved to third on a Solis flyout to left and scored on a wild pitch.