February 17, 2012
SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Rattlers’ softball team traveled across the country to showcase some of their newest talent Friday.
Freshman Taylor Vidrine drove in a pair of runs while fellow freshman Vianna Gutierrez went 3 for 3 at the plate and got the win in the circle as St. Mary’s stormed past Lindenwood 9-1 to open up the Saint Leo Softball Invitational with a bang in a run-rule victory that lasted six innings.
The Rattlers (5-4) followed with a 5-3 victory over Pittsburg State in their second game of the day, as Alex Garcia’s (Jr., San Antonio) three-run blast in the third built a 5-0 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Against Lindenwood, Vidrine, a San Antonio native from O’Connor High School, went 2 for 4 and scored one run, while Gutierrez, a Taft High School graduate from San Antonio, drove in one run in her three hits and struck out five to get the victory in the circle.
But it wasn’t just freshmen doing their part for the Rattlers, who broke open a scoreless game with a five-run second inning before tacking on four more runs over the fourth and sixth frames.
Seven different Rattlers drove in runs, including senior shortstop Richelle Morales of San Antonio, who went 3 for 3 with one RBI and a run scored. Veteran right fielder Shelly Lee Zawadzki (Jr., San Antonio) drove in a run as well and scored twice while officially batting 1 for 1 on the day.
Catchers Ashley Behabetz (So., Littleton, Colo.) and Stacey Moss (Sr., San Antonio) also drove in one run apiece, as did centerfielder Katie Nichols (Jr., San Marcos, Texas).
Against Pittsburg State, Emily Brittain (So., Corpus Christi, Texas) went the distance in the circle to get the win. Vidrine starred at the plate again in that game, going 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.
St. Mary’s will be back in action Saturday with games against the University of Tampa and host Saint Leo University.