April 20, 2003
The St. Mary’s softball team (42-10) closed out the regular season by sweeping St. Edward’s (27-21) in Austin on April 19. St. Mary’s picked up a 4-1 victory in the first game before shutting out the Hilltoppers 9-0 in the second game.
The Rattlers, ranked tenth in the nation and second in the region, led the first game 3-0 after three innings and added a fourth run in the fifth before conceding a single run in the bottom of sixth. Rattler ace Kym Kling (25-2) pitched a complete game victory and held the Hilltoppers to just three hits. First baseman Jennifer Survant’s bases-loaded single to right center in the third drove in the Rattler’s first two runs, including the game winner. Survant’s two hits in the game led St. Mary’s.
In the second game the Rattlers scored seven runs in the fourth inning and added two more in the fifth to pick up a eight-run-rule victory over the Hilltoppers. The win was St. Mary’s eighth run-rule win of the season – the sixth in the Rattlers’ last ten games. St. Mary’s outscored its opponents 72-19 during those last ten games. Amanda Bayless (16-6) picked up the win after facing all but the final batter. Reliever Angela Hammock faced the final Hilltopper batter who popped out to third with the bases loaded. Jaime Betrsch had four RBIs for the Rattlers, including a 3-RBI double in the fourth.