Softball's Season Comes to an End in Hard Fought Loss

TYLER, Texas — Very few teams are able to win the final game of their season, and St. Mary's University Softball was no exception, falling in a hard-fought battle with #25 Colorado Mesa, 7-5, at the NCAA South Central Regional.
 
The Rattlers end their season with a 32-26 record in the team's 18th appearance in the NCAA Regionals.
 
Head Coach Donna Fields shook up the lineup, moving senior Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas) to the leadoff spot for the first time this season. She responded by going 2-for-4 with a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left field. Fellow senior Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) also had a two-hit day, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Junior Madeline Bloom (Poway, Calif.) was credited with the loss to fall to 7-8 on the year. She allowed four earned runs on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Junior Savannah Youngblood (Kingwood, Texas) pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on one hit with a strikeout and a hit batter.
 
A two-run home run in the bottom of the second gave CMU (45-10) the early lead.
 
Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) led off fourth with a bunt single. With one out, Gomez bunted her to second. Senior Mackenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig, Texas) singled to right-center and Tennill scored from second for the 2-1 score.
 
Abigail Dela Rosa (La Grange, Texas) singled down the third base line and moved to second on a throwing error. Junior Jadyn Abrego (San Antonio) pinch-hit a single down the right field line to score Dela Rosa. Senior Destiny Salinas re-entered to run. After a pitching change, Reyes hit the scoreboard in left field for a two-run home run to give the Rattlers a 4-2 advantage.
 
The Mavs, ranked second in the nation in home runs, added a pair in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead, 7-4.
 
Gomez began the sixth with a single up the middle. With one out, Lauryn Ramos (Marion, Texas) and Dela Rosa drew back-to-back walks and forced CMU to go back to the bullpen. Reyes singled down the third-base line with two outs to plate Gomez for the 7-5 final score.
 
The Rattlers say goodbye to five amazing seniors in Dugi, Gomez, Reyes, Sara Robertson (Lorena, Texas) and Salinas.