LAREDO, Texas – The St. Mary's University Softball team split a doubleheader at Texas A&M International on Friday afternoon, winning game one 10-5 before dropping game two 8-5.
The Rattlers combined for 25 hits over the two games in moving to 18-15 on the season and 13-9 in Lone Star Conference action, while the Dustdevils are now 15-18 overall and 10-12 in league play.
St. Mary's will face Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sunday evening, beginning a doubleheader at 4 p.m. The Javelinas split Friday with St. Edward's.
GAME ONE
Every spot in the batting order recorded at least one hit for the Rattlers, as they scored 10 runs on 16 hits, including three each by Reagan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) and
Lauren Gonzales (San Antonio) at the top of the lineup.
Freshman
Miah Corona (Eddy, Texas) continued to get hits with runners on base, collecting four RBIs to lead the game.
Junior
Emily Ayala (San Antonio) improved to 6-1 in the circle with his third complete game of the year. She gave up five runs on 11 hits, walking no one and tying her career-high with seven strikeouts.
The Rattlers had the hot bats early, scoring three runs on four hits in the top of the first. Tennill led off, beating out an infield hit to the shortstop. Gonzales laid a great bunt down that died outside the batter's box for a bunt single, and Banda doubled over the left fielder's head for the first RBI of the game. Corona stretched her hitting streak to a career-best 10 games with a double down the left field line to score two more. The Dustdevils got one run back in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run.
Roberson kicked off the second inning with a push bunt past the pitcher's circle for a single. Dela Rosa hit a slow roller to third base, beating out the throw for a single, and a single past the outstretched glove of the shortstop by Tennill scored Roberson, for the 4-1 lead. TAMIU again answered with one run on two hits to have the scoreboard read, 4-2.
With two outs in the third, Valdez singled up the middle. Ramos drew a four-pitch walk and Roberson hit into a fielder's choice where the shortstop didn't get the throw to second in time to get Ramos out on the force play. Dela Rosa blooped a shot over the second baseman's head into shallow center that was charged as an error on the second baseman, plating Valdez for the 5-2 advantage. Another solo home run for the Dustdevils closed the gap to two, 5-3.
The Rattlers were kept off the scoreboard in the fourth inning, though Gonzales bunted for another infield single. The defense kept TAMIU off the board as well, as Ayala recorded the third out via strikeout with two runners on.
Araceli Arevalo pinch-hit to lead off the fifth and promptly beat out an infield single to shortstop. Roberson walked, and Dela Rosa legged out an infield single to load the bases. Junior
Arianna (AJ) Sanchez (San Antonio) pinch hit and doubled down the left field line to drive in two runs. Banda walked, and Corona took a pitch back up the middle for a single and two more RBIs, forcing TAMIU to go back to the bullpen with the 9-3 score. Ayala once again worked around a pair of TAMIU hits, not allowing a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Neither team scored in the sixth, but the Rattlers added another in the seventh. Tennill roped a single to third base, Gonzales singled to the gap in left-center, and with two outs, Ayala singled up the middle to score Tennill for the 10-3 lead. A two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh made the final score 10-5.
GAME TWO RECAP
The top of the order remained hot in game two as Gonzales, Banda and Corona each had two base knocks as StMU scored five runs on nine hits, and Valdez hit the second home run of her career in the sixth inning.
The Rattlers used a trio of pitchers. Junior
Breanna Ford (Corpus Christi) started in the circle, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout in two innings. Senior
Jadyn Abrego (San Antonio) worked the next three innings, giving up four runs on four hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts and
Ariella Saenz (Pharr, Texas) gave up only one hit in one inning.
St. Mary's jumped out to the 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Tennill walked, moved to second on a bunt single by Gonzales, hustled to third on a bloop single to shallow right by Banda and she and Gonzales scored on Corona's single to right field.
The Dustdevils scored one in the first, three in the second and four in the third to open up an 8-2 lead. The Rattlers rallied with three runs in the sixth but were unable to score any more to complete the comeback.
Corona and Abrego both singled to start the frame. After fouling off three straight pitches, senior
Mene'e Padilla (San Antonio) launched a ball over the fence in left field for three runs and the 8-5 final score.
