San Antonio – Kelcy Walker smacked two homeruns and drove home six runs, while Malissa Magee and Brittney Kettinger continued their strong pitching as St. Mary’s University completed a four-game sweep of Heartland Conference foe University of Texas of the Permian Basin, with an 18-0, 2-0, doubleheader win in softball action Sunday morning at Rattler Field.

Walker (Jr., San Antonio) keyed an 18-run outburst in the first game of the doubleheader, going 4-of-4 with two homeruns, five RBI and four runs scored. The 18 runs are tied for the second most runs scored in a single game in St. Mary’s history. The win was clinched by an 11-run third inning that put the game out of reach. Mary K Pederson (Jr., Houston) had three hits in as many at-bats, drove home three runs and scored two more in the game. Sarah Cooper (Jr., Houston), Lindsay Barnes (Jr., San Antonio), Kettinger (Jr., Azle), Lindsay Magaro (Sr., Elmendorf), Jenna Saucedo (So., San Antonio) and Sade Moore (So., Angleton) each had two hits in the game.

Kettinger improved to 11-6 this season with the win, allowing just one hit and no walks in three innings of work. She struck out four. Ericka Avila (Sr., El Paso), playing in her final home game as a Rattler, tossed two scoreless innings of relief, striking out four.

In the second game Magee (Jr., Houston) and Crystal Ivy traded goose-eggs for four innings until the Rattlers finally broke out on top. With one out Pederson singled to left and stole second base. After moving to third on a ground out she came home when Walker singled to center, giving St. Mary’s a 1-0 lead. In the sixth inning they put the game away when Magaro reached on an infield single, stole second and came home on a Saucedo double to left-center.

That was all that Magee needed as she was as dominant as she has been all season, allowing just an infield single and two walks, while striking out a school-record 17 batters. She improved to 23-7 overall and has won her last eight starts. The one-hitter was her sixth this season and the shutout was her 14th. She lowered her Heartland Conference best ERA to just 0.59.

With the sweep, the Rattlers have now won a season-best 12 straight games, and improved their record to 37-14 overall. UTPB fell to 11-24 overall this season. St. Mary’s will return to action on Wednesday when travel to San Angelo to face 4th-ranked Angelo State University in a doubleheader, starting at 5 p.m.

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