CANYON, Texas — The St. Mary's University Baseball team garnered 13 runs on 20 hits on Friday, but it wasn't enough to overcome #25 West Texas A&M in an 18-13 slugfest.
The Rattlers (18-13, 16-13) stranded 13 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the ninth in dropping the series opener to the Buffs (24-7, 22-7).
Of the season-high tying 20 hits on the night, seven were doubles, tying for the eighth-most in a single game in school history. Both senior
Jacob King (San Antonio) and junior
Raithen Malone (Mont Belvieu, Texas) hit a pair, while senior
Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) hit a double and a triple from the leadoff spot, driving in three runs.
Elizondo, junior
Garrett Brooks (Spring Branch, Texas), senior
Hogan Heller (San Antonio) and Malone all collected three hits apiece, while Elizondo, senior
Jorge Cuevas (El Paso, Texas), senior
Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) and Malone all scored twice.
West Texas A&M scored its 18 runs on 18 hits and were aided by three StMU miscues. The Buffs scored seven runs in the first inning, adding two more each in the second, fourth and fifth and five runs in the seventh. The Rattlers scored one in the first, four in the second, one in the fifth, three in the sixth, one in the seventh and three in the eighth.
Sophomore
Gabe Cook (San Antonio) fell to 2-5 on the season. He allowed four earned runs on six hits with four walks in an inning of work. Five others worked in relief, including
Cameron Hodges (San Antonio), who worked the next three frames, giving up two runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout, and had the longest outing of any of the relievers.
The Buffs also used a half-dozen pitchers over the nine innings with Andrew Simone getting the victory to move to 2-0 and Tai Phetluangsy earning his seventh save of the year, striking out the side with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.
The two teams return to the diamond on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The series concludes on Sunday with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.
