SAN ANTONIO — It wasn't how the No. 15 St. Mary's University Baseball team drew it up, but they still hold destiny in their own hands after dropping the series opener 4-0 to No. 8 UT Tyler on Friday night.
The Rattlers (35-12) need to win the final three games against the Patriots (38-9) to grab a share of the Lone Star Conference regular season title, and the two teams take to the diamond for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.
St. Mary's outhit UT Tyler 8-to-7 but were unable to string enough hits together to plate a run.
Junior
Gabe Cook (San Antonio) was handed his first loss of the season, moving to 6-1 after pitching 3 2/3 innings. He gave up two earned runs on five hits, but struck out a season-high seven batters – tying his career-high – and walked an uncharacteristic four batters. Senior
Joel Burgess (Atascocita, Texas) worked 4 1/3 innings in relief, surrendering an unearned run on one hit with one out and six strikeouts, and sophomore
Christian Molinar (San Antonio) gave up one hit and one walk in the final inning.
The 13 strikeouts by the Rattlers' pitching staff are the second-highest total of the season, trailing only the 14 they fanned in the season opener at Sul Ross State back on Jan. 31.
The eight hits for the Rattlers came off seven different bats, with only freshman
Blake Allen (Bulverde, Texas) getting a pair of base knocks, and all nine Rattlers reached base at least once as both
Rob Gonzalez (San Antonio) and
Jacob Tanguma (Houston) were plunked by a pitch.
Caden Copeland improved to 5-1 for the Patriots on the hill. He gave up seven hits and struck out six, while Coleson Abel earned the save, pitching the final 1 1/3 innings and got UTT out of a jam as the Rattlers had two runners on when he entered in the eighth.
