San Antonio – Malissa Magee won her 24th game of the season, while Kelcy Walker continued her red-hot hitting with six base hits as St. Mary’s University swept a Heartland Conference softball doubleheader against the University of the Incarnate Word, 4-2, 6-1, in action Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Field.

Magee (Jr., Houston) allowed just one run on four hits and two walks, while striking out eight to improve to 24-8 this season. She has won nine of her last 10 starts. The only run of the game came with two outs in the fifth inning. Allison Britt walked and moved to second on an illegal pitch. She then came home on an Amanda Mayfield single. However, after that she allowed just one baserunner over the final two innings.

With the score tied at 1-1 entering the top of the seventh inning the Rattlers finally took advantage of their baserunners. Entering the inning they had left nine on in the game. But they scored five runs on seven hits in the seventh inning. Sade Moore (So., Angleton) led off with a single and scored on a Walker (Jr., San Antonio) double. Lindsay Barnes (So., San Antonio) followed with a double to score Walker. Two batters later Lindsay Magaro (Sr., Elmendorf) smacked the third double of the inning to score Walker and make the score 4-1. Nikki Flores (So., Friendswood) singled and pinch hitter Katherine Chavarria (Fr., San Antonio) walked to load the bases. That brought up Sarah Cooper (Jr., Houston) who singled home Magaro. Mary K Pederson (Jr., Houston) completed the scoring with an RBI single to score Flores, giving the Rattlers a five-run edge.

In the first game of the day Brittany Kettinger (Jr., Azle) picked up her 12th win of the season, allowing just two runs on six hits, while walking none and striking out four.

Flores gave the Rattlers a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI single that scored Walker. One inning later the Rattlers padded that lead. Jenna Saucedo (So., San Antonio) doubled and came home on an error off the bat of Pederson. Another Cardinal error allowed Pederson to score to give the Rattlers a 3-0 edge. Two innings later the Rattlers scored their final run when Pederson hit a one-out double and came home on an RBI single by Walker.

With the win the Rattlers completed a six-game season sweep of the Cardinals. St. Mary’s improved to 39-16 overall and 12-3 in Heartland Conference play. UIW fell to 18-31, 6-14. The Rattlers clinched the second seed in the upcoming Heartland Conference Tournament, set to start on Thursday at Rattler Field.

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