LAREDO, Texas — The St. Mary's University Softball team had strong pitching and timely hitting on Saturday afternoon to sweep a doubleheader at Texas A&M International, winning game one 8-0 in five innings and putting together a late rally for 5-1 in game two.
The Rattlers are now 24-17 overall and move to 16-12 in Lone Star Conference play, while the Dustdevils drop to 10-20 on the year and 6-20 in league action. StMU sits in sixth place in the LSC standings after the two wins and faces Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sunday at 1 p.m., which is right ahead of the Rattlers in fifth place.
GAME ONE RECAP (StMU 8, TAMIU 0)
Senior
Ariella Saenz (Pharr, Texas) continued her dominant stretch of late, pitching her third complete-game shutout of the year, needing only 63 pitches to get through five innings. She allowed only two hits and struck out three to improve to 11-5 and win her fourth straight.
Junior
Gabriela Banda (San Antonio) collected four of the team's eight RBI, going 2-for-2 with a two-run home run down the left field line in the first inning to set the tone for the game, while fellow junior
Iliana Melendez (Seabrook, Texas) had two hits, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, as the Rattlers scored eight runs on nine hits, and took advantage with five walks and five stolen bases, including a pair of double steals.
Freshman
Emma Wilson (Bulverde, Texas), who has been used as a pinch runner most of the season, recorded her first collegiate hit, doubling to the gap in left center in the fifth inning.
GAME TWO RECAP (StMU 5, TAMIU 1)
Melendez carried her hot bat over to the nightcap, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore
Miah Corona (Eddy, Texas) and senior
Abigail Dela Rosa (La Grange, Texas) each went 2-for-3 and scored as the Rattlers scored all five of their runs in the sixth inning.
Senior
Emily Ayala (San Antonio) worked the first three innings in the circle, giving up one run on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts, while junior
Emery Aguilar (Georgetown, Texas) pitched the final four frames, giving up four hits with one walk and two strikeouts, but kept the Dustdevils off the scoreboard.
St. Mary's scored its five runs on 12 hits, while TAMIU scored one run on seven hits
