ALPINE, Texas — It wasn't always pretty, but the St. Mary's University Softball team swept a doubleheader at Sul Ross State on Friday, winning game one 6-1 before coming back late to win game two 11-9.
Junior
Gabriela Banda (San Antonio) led the Rattlers, going 5-for-7 over the two games with four RBI, two walks and two doubles, while senior
Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) hit her fourth home run of the season. It was her lone hit of the games, but she drew two walks and was hit by a pitch. Sophomore
Miah Corona (Eddy, Texas) was also 6-for-9 with three RBI and two stolen bases.
The Rattlers (27-20, 19-15) remain on the road, playing at Western New Mexico on Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. (CT)/Noon (MT), and they close the regular season at St. Edward's on Saturday, May 2 at Noon.
GAME ONE (StMU 6, SRS 1)
Senior pitcher
Ariella Saenz (Pharr, Texas) had a perfect game through 3 1/3 innings before Lobos (7-34, 5-29) catcher Samantha Bustos rocketed a shot back up the middle for the first hit of the game. Bustos got two of the team's three hits on the day, but senior
Abigail Dela Rosa (La Grange, Texas) threw her out at home from centerfield as she tried to score in the sixth to end the threat and hold SRS to one run.
Saenz gave up the one run on three hits with one walk and one strikeout, while junior
Emery Aguilar (Georgetown, Texas) pitched a scoreless seventh, walking one.
The Rattlers scored one in the first (Tennill's solo shot down the left field line), two in the third and three in the sixth for their six runs.
Banda was 3-for-4 with two RBI, driving in a pair on a single up the middle in the sixth, while Corona, Dela Rosa and freshman
Peyton Miers (San Antonio) each added two hits, and Miers drove in the two runs in the third frame with her single to left field. Miers also got her first work behind the plate this season, catching the final inning.
GAME TWO (StMU 11, SRS 9)
It looked like the Rattlers had broken the game open after plating seven runs in the top of the second, but the Lobos scored four in the third, two in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a 9-8 lead. StMU regained the lead with three runs in the seventh for the 11-9 victory.
Corona was 4-for-5 on offense with three RBI, driving in one in the second and the winning run in the seventh on a single to right field.
The Lobos were able to gain the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a strange play. With the bases loaded and one out, Jenna Leanos bunted the ball in front of the plate. Catcher
Izabella Valdez (San Antonio) looked to be touching home plate when she picked up the ball and threw to
Bryley Westfahl (San Antonio) for what the Rattlers thought was an inning-ending double play; however, there was no out signaled at home, and the Lobos continued to advance bases before time was called. Bustos came up and singled through the left side of the infield to score two runs for the 9-8 advantage.
StMU took advantage of free bases in the seventh inning, as
Samiya Johnson (Corpus Christi) was hit by a pitch, and freshman
Hannah Melendez (San Antonio), pinch running for her, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Westfahl.
Iliana Melendez (Seabrook, Texas), Tennill, and Banda all walked for one run, and then Corona's drive to right scored two more for the 11-9 final.
Aguilar pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to improve to 10-3 on the year. Seniors
Emily Ayala (San Antonio),
Breanna Ford (Corpus Christi) and freshman
Aly Garcia (Edinburg, Texas) also worked in the circle for the Rattlers.
