Extra-Innings Thriller Lifts Baseball to Fifth Straight Win

SAN ANTONIO — A huge defensive play by senior Hogan Heller in the top of the 10th inning and a fantastic hit to centerfield by senior Garrett Brooks in the bottom half of the frame led the St. Mary's University Baseball team to an 8-7 win in the first game of the series against Lubbock Christian on a frigid Friday night at Dickson Stadium.
 
Heller (San Antonio) snagged a line drive on a diving catch at first base, jumped up and ran to the bag for the unassisted double play with runners on the corners in the top of the 10th to get the Rattlers (8-2, 7-2) out of a jam. 
 
With runners on first and second and two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Brooks (Spring Branch, Texas) roped a single to center, allowing the speedy Tristan Moreno (Seguin, Texas) to score from second base to give StMU its first extra-innings win of the year and lift them a fifth-straight victory.
 
Senior Jake Elizondo (San Antonio) continued his strong play, making two stellar defensive plays at shortstop as well as going 4-for-5 in the leadoff position. Brooks and fellow senior Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) also had two-hit days, with Brooks driving in three runs, tying for team-high honors with Heller, who smashed a home run in the second inning.
 
Junior Kaleb Gauna (Hondo, Texas) started on the mound for the Rattlers, working 4 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Brandon Vasquez (Round Rock, Texas) surrendered one run in his 1 1/3 innings of work. Both junior Ryan Romine (San Antonio) and senior Cameron Hodges (San Antonio) worked scoreless innings before handing the ball over to closer Carlos Flores Jr. (San Antonio). Flores pitched the final frame, walking one intentionally.
 
The Chaps (7-6, 7-6) scored two in the top of the first on one hit and a pair of hit batters. Parrish led off the second with a triple to right center, senior Trey Guajardo (San Juan, Texas) drew a five-pitch walk and Heller blasted a home run halfway up the blue monster in straightaway centerfield for the 3-2 lead.
 
All-American Brevin McCool gave the lead back to the Chaps with a shot over the right-centerfield fence with a runner on first for the 4-3 tally in the top of the third inning.
 
The Rattlers immediately answered with a Brooks home run in the bottom half of the frame. Brendan Concannon (Flower Mound, Texas) walked on four pitches, setting up Brooks's shot that ricocheted off the foul pole down the right-field line. LCU went to the bullpen, and Jacob King (San Antonio) and Parrish drew back-to-back walks. Guajardo laid down a great sacrifice bunt to move the pair up and Heller drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. With one out, Moreno was hit by a pitch to drive in a run, and Elizondo followed with a single to shortstop, driving in another for the 7-4 advantage.
 
LCU got two runs back in the fourth on two hits and two walks for the 7-6 score and tied it on a triple by McCool in the top of the sixth.
 
The score remained 7-7 until the fireworks in the 10th inning.
 
The two teams are slated to play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. Stay tuned to Rattlerathletics.com and the athletics social media accounts to keep up to date on any schedule changes due to weather.