TYLER, Texas — Senior
Madeline Bloom did it again for the St. Mary's University Softball team, beating No. 3 UT Tyler on Sunday 5-3 in a split against the Patriots. UTT came back and won 10-0 in game two.
The Rattlers (23-24, 18-18 Lone Star Conference) became the first unranked team (neither top-25 nor receiving votes) to ever beat UT Tyler (39-4, 30-4) twice in the same season since the Patriots moved to Division II with the split in Tyler.
Bloom, a senior pitcher from Poway, Calif., gave up only one earned run in her sixth consecutive complete game. She scattered four hits, walking two and striking out six to improve to 10-5 on the season. She threw a career-high 139 pitches, and it is the ninth start of at least five innings where she's allowed 0 or 1 earned run.
Freshman
Izabella Valdez (San Antonio) and junior
Abigail Dela Rosa (La Grange, Texas) each collected two hits in the win, with Dela Rosa delivering the dagger in the sixth inning with her bases-clearing triple to center field. It is the sixth triple of the season for the speedy centerfielder, moving her into a tie for fourth in StMU single-season history.
The two teams combined for seven errors in the opener, with the Rattlers having four.
The second game was all Patriots, as they won 10-0. Senior
Lauren Gonzales (San Antonio) recorded the only hit of the game, beating out and infield single to lead off the game. Cera Blanchard shut down the Rattlers after that, striking out four in the next 15 batters.
Junior
Ariella Saenz (Pharr, Texas) dropped to 3-6 on the year with the loss. She was in the circle for three innings, surrendering seven earned runs on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Senior
Savannah Youngblood (Kingwood, Texas) pitched the final frame, giving up two earned runs on two hits.
The Rattlers have a quick turnaround due to Easter weekend, playing at Oklahoma Christian on Wednesday at 2 p.m. and Cameron on Friday at 4 p.m. to wrap up the 10-game road trip.
