SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Rogers State softball team allowed two late runs to host St. Mary's as the Rattlers swept two games of a doubleheader on Friday (March 24) at the Park at St. Mary's. StMU rallied for a 3-2 win in game one and took game two, 7-2. The two games were the start of a three-game league weekend series.
St. Mary's 3, Rogers State 2
The Rattlers (24-6) scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, including the game winner, to take game one, 3-2, due to the late rally.
With two outs and a runner at second, StMU tied the score at 2-2 with an infield RBI single by Raynelle Nash. The Rattlers tallied the game-winning win on a walk-off double to left center by Marcela Vasquez that scored Nash for the 3-2 score.
The navy and red held the lead throughout the game until the late Rattler rally. The Cats went up, 1-0, in the first inning when
Arika Araujo hit an RBI double to left to bring home
Morgen Blanchard for an early edge.
RSU increased the advantage to 2-0 in the fifth inning on a
Harli Wheeler single up the middle that scored
Mikayla Waggnor.
In the sixth inning, StMU posted its first run as Alessandra Ortiz got in a rundown between first and second base allowing Kristal Salinas to score from third.
Edie Fairchild got the Cats out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning. The Rattlers loaded the bases with two singles and a walk, however, Fairchild forced a groundout to end the inning with RSU up, 1-0.
Araujo finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with one RBI.
Fairchild started in the circle, pitching 4.2 innings of scoreless softball. She totaled one strikeout while allowing five hits.
Megan Rosewell came in to pitch the final 2.0 innings, giving up three runs on four hits.
St. Mary's 7, Rogers State 2
RSU took an early lead again in game two, but StMU responded with seven runs to pull away for a 7-2 win in the nightcap for the sweep.
Ali Turner opened the game two scoring with a double to plate
Kayla Patterson for a 1-0 RSU lead in the second inning.
The Rattlers matched the Cats with one run in the bottom of the second inning, hitting a single down the line for a 1-1 score.
StMU went in front, 2-1, in the third inning with a sac fly. The Rattlers added three runs in the fourth to build a 5-1 edge. The scoring in the fourth started with a single up the middle by Salinas, and a two-RBI single by Ortiz upped the lead to 5-1.
Taylor Santistevan knocked an RBI infield single to second for the Cats second run to make it 5-2. Kenzi Lloyd scored on the Santistevan single.
The Rattlers tallied two more runs in the sixth inning for the 7-2 score.
Lloyd went 2-for-3 with one run scored from the No. 2 spot in the lineup. The bottom five Hillcats in the lineup all finished with hits.
Rosewell started in the circle in game two, going 5.0 innings and allowing six hits and four earned runs. She posted one strikeout.
Mayra Helguera went the final inning.
The Hillcats and Rattlers finish the three-game series on Saturday (March 25) at 3 p.m. in San Antonio, Texas. Video and live stats will be available for the contest.
