April 29, 2011
LAREDO, Texas – The fifth-ranked St. Mary’s baseball team continues to make the impossible look easy.
Erasing a three-run deficit in the top of the seventh inning, the Rattlers scored five runs to stun Texas A&M International 12-10 in the front end of a Heartland Conference doubleheader Friday.
The red-hot Rattlers (41-8, 26-3 in Heartland) then pounded the Dustdevils 11-5, sweeping the first day of action entering Saturday’s series-ending Game 3 for their 12th straight win.
Right fielder Jason Garcia (Sr., Falfurrias, Texas) drove in five runs and scored twice on a 2-for-5 outing in Game1, while third baseman Reagan Moczygemba (Sr., Bulverde, Texas) and catcher Ryan Morrow (Sr., Bulverde, Texas) each registered three RBIs in the nightcap.
Kyle Bumpas (Fr., El Paso, Texas) pitched 2/3 of an inning en route to picking up the Game 1 victory, improving to 6-0 on the season in the process, and star closer Sammy Rivas (Sr., San Antonio) earned his 12th save by pitching a scoreless final inning. Rivas struck out two in the seventh.
Greg Herbst (Sr., San Antonio) earned the Game 2 victory after striking out four and scattering 12 hits.
The seventh inning of Game 1 epitomized what the Rattlers’ offense is all about: balance.
Josh McElroy (Jr., Helotes, Texas) had an RBI single to center field, and he and Esteban Raygoza (Jr., San Antonio) later scored on errors. Garcia then doubled to drive in a run, as did Migl, bringing in the Rattlers’ final run on a double.
St. Mary’s will close out its regular season with a 12 p.m. tilt against A&M International on Saturday.