From staff reports
San Marcos — When a team’s district schedule is about as unforgiving as its non-district slate, you know a head coach has done a solid job of scheduling.
Such is the case for San Marcos as the squad has played six ranked teams so far and face a seventh tonight against Elgin. The Rattlers are looking to get back on track after a brutal stretch in their annual Spring Break Classic.
San Marcos went 2-1 in pool play (beating Palacios and Wimberley before falling to Big Spring) and then lost its first seeding game to Wolfforth Frienship.
“We knew this tournament was going to be tough with so many good teams,” Lady Rattlers head coach Cathy Stoughton said. “It gives us a great chance to throw different pitchers and to see how each handle the pressure.”
San Marcos used four starting pitchers in its four games yesterday, with Krista Bost, Danielle Doria, Jessica Villapando and Danielle Ricks toeing the rubber.
Bost and Doria held their own, limiting Palacios and Wimberley to a total of two runs. Villapando held Big Spring to a pair of runs, but the Lady Rattlers’ offense was non-existent and only posted one run of their own.
San Marcos bounced back to go up 6-1 on Friendship with Ricks on the mound, but the Tigers jumped all over the young pitcher in the later innings.
Frienship posted three runs in the fifth inning to make it 6-4 and then scored three more in the bottom of the final frame to win the game, 7-6.
“We had our chances, but left the bases loaded with no outs in the inning after they scored their first three,” Stoughton said. “We just need to be able to answer an opponent when they knock us back.”
The Lady Rattlers are now 9-11 overall and continue District 17-4A play tonight against Elgin. The Wildcats are ranked No. 3 in Class 4A by the Texas Girls Coaches Association.
“It’s going to be a battle for us,” Stoughton said. “We’re going to have to get a lot of things to go our way, but we’ll be ready.”
