SAN ANTONIO — The St. Mary's University Baseball team pounded 15 hits in a 6-3 series-opening win over UT Permian Basin on Thursday evening.
The Rattlers (27-16, 25-16) stranded 12 on base and forced the Falcons (15-27, 15-26) into leaving eight on base, holding UTPB to three runs on eight hits.
The teams went back and forth on the scoreboard until StMU scored three runs in the sixth inning to take the lead for good. Each team scored one in the third, the Rattlers scored one in the fourth, and the Falcons answered with one in the fifth for the 2-2 tie.
With two outs and
Raithen Malone (Mont Belvieu, Texas) on third after singling and advancing a base on each out, senior
Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio) was hit by a pitch. He stole second and both scored on a double that went off the fence at the flagpole in right center off the bat of junior
Garrett Brooks. On a normal day where the wind wasn't gusting in from centerfield over 20 miles per hour, Brooks would have notched his 10th home run of the year. Senior
Easton Parrish (La Vernia, Texas) singled to shallow right center to plate Brooks and put the Rattlers up 5-2.
Each team scored a run in the eighth inning for the 6-3 final.
Seven of the nine batters in the lineup for the Rattlers recorded two hits on the night, while Elizondo and Brooks each scored twice, and Brooks led the game with three RBIs. Elizondo stole two more bases to bring his season total to 19, while Brooks and junior
Jaxon Daigre (Pinehurst, Texas) each stole another.
Sophomore
Gabe Cook (San Antonio) surrendered only one earned run on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in a no-decision. Senior
Cameron Hodges (San Antonio) won for the second straight week in a stellar relief appearance. In 3 1/3 innings, he gave up one run on one hit with one walk and four strikeouts. Junior
Matt Sandoval (Uvalde, Texas) earned the first save of his StMU career, facing the minimum three batters in the ninth, needing only 10 pitches to get through the frame.
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 2 p.m. The final home game of the regular season will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with Senior Day festivities starting at 12:30 p.m.
