SAN ANTONIO — The St. Mary's University Softball team split a doubleheader against Western New Mexico on Friday evening, dropping game one, 7-6, before bouncing back to win game two, 7-4.
The Rattlers are now 10-7 on the season and 2-2 in Lone Star Conference play, while the Mustangs are 7-7 overall and 3-1 in league action.
Junior
Gabriela Banda (San Antonio) recorded six of the team's 12 RBIs on the day, while junior
Bryley Westfahl (San Antonio) scored five runs and was 2-for-2 in stolen bases, and junior
Iliana Melendez (Seabrook, Texas) went 3-for-4 with two runs and three walks.
Junior
Emery Aguilar (Georgetown, Texas) earned the win in game two, pitching 4.1 innings in relief. She allowed two runs on six hits and struck out one. Senior
Ariella Saenz (Pharr, Texas) bounced back after taking the loss in game one to get the save in game two, needing only five pitches to get the final two outs.
St. Mary's remains at home, hosting Sul Ross State on Sunday in a doubleheader beginning at noon. The Lobos were swept by St. Edward's on Friday afternoon.
GAME ONE
Saenz retired the first seven batters she faced in the game, allowing her offense to put four runs on the scoreboard in the first two innings.
In the first, Westfahl drew the first of her five walks on the day and promptly stole second. Melendez bunted for a single to put runners on the corners. The WNMU catcher tried to fake a throw down the third base line to keep the speedy Westfahl in check, but she dropped the ball, allowing Westfahl to scamper home and Melendez to advance to second. Senior
Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) blasted a ball to the warning track in left field to score Melendez for the 2-0 lead.
Saenz walked to kick off the second, and freshman
Hannah Melendez (San Antonio) pinch ran for her. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Samiya Johnson (Corpus Christi). Westfahl walked for the second-straight inning, and both moved up on a wild pitch.
Iliana Melendez grounded out to first base, but Hannah was able to score from third. Tennill hit a shot to deep second base for the 4-0 advantage.
The Mustangs plated two in the third on three hits, including a two-run single down the right field line by Abi Markus for the 4-2 score. WNMU added a pair in the fifth on three more hits and an StMU error to knot the score at 4-4.
StMU regained the lead in the sixth inning, keeping the streak intact with two runs. Saenz laid down a fantastic bunt for a single, and was sacrificed to second by Johnson. Saenz rounded second, and the first baseman attempted to throw behind her at second, but overthrew the bag, allowing Saenz to advance to third. Westfahl walked and stole second, and
Iliana Melendez walked to load the bases. With two outs, Banda singled to left to score a pair.
The Mustangs broke with the tradition of the previous six innings and plated three in the seventh for the 7-6 victory.
GAME TWO
Each team scored a run in the first, WNMU added a run in the second, and both teams scored a pair in the third for the 4-3 tally. The Rattlers added two in the fourth and two in the fifth for the 7-4 win. Banda was 3-for-3 with four RBIs in the contest, driving home the table setters at the top of the lineup.
Banda hit a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Westfahl in the first. Westfahl walked on four straight pitches and hustled to third on a Melendez single through the left side of the infield.
With one out in the third, Melendez walked, moved to second on a Tennill single, and scored on a Banda single to centerfield. Tennill came around to score when senior
Abigail Dela Rosa (La Grange, Texas) singled to second base.
Freshman
Peyton Miers (San Antonio) walked with one out in the fourth, and jogged to second when Westfahl followed her with another base on balls. Melendez singled to the gap in left centerfield to load the bases and force the Mustangs into a pitching change. Banda hit a sharp grounder to centerfield, scoring two more.
Dela Rosa doubled down the left field line to get things started in the fifth, and she moved to third on a sharply hit ball to right field off the bat of sophomore
Izabella Valdez (San Antonio). Sophomore
Neveah Hallmark (Pasadena, Texas) squeaked a ball just inside the third-base foul line for a single to plate Dela Rosa. Westfahl reached on an error to load the bases and Melendez hit a sacrifice fly to left for the seventh and final run of the game.
