SMHS SOFTBALL
The Lady Rattlers lost 5-4 in a hard-fought game against Schertz Clemens on Tuesday night.
“We didn’t settle, and we didn’t adjust to the pitching,” San Marcos head coach Cathy Stoughton said. “I would like to see us be more aggressive as a team.”
San Marcos struck first on an infield single and error by the Buffaloes third baseman. The errant throw led to A’Kyia Spillers and Selena Silva scoring, giving them a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
Clemens responded in the top of the second, scoring a run on a bunt single to cut into the lead. With another run threatening, starting pitcher Adelaida Sierra got out of the inning after interference was called on a Buffalo base runner.
Clemens evened the score in the top of the third. A one-out double came around to score on a sacrifice fly a few batters later.
Sierra stranded a runner on first, ending the third inning, but Clemens had tied the game 2-2.
San Marcos responded quickly, a lead off double by Silva paired with some small-ball brought in their third run of the game to take a 3-2 lead after three innings.
Clemens responded with a lead off double of their own. After a San Marcos error and a ground out, the Buffaloes tied the game 3-3.
In the top of the fifth, Clemens threatened to take the lead, loading the bases with two outs. But Sierra came up big with a strikeout to keep the Buffaloes off the board.
The Buffaloes took the lead in the top of the sixth. After a Lady Rattler error allowed a runner to reach scoring position with two outs, Clemens came through with a single to take a 4-3 lead.
After the Lady Rattlers went down in order in the sixth, the Buffaloes loaded the bases. Sierra left the game with an injury, leaving Jaelynn Perez to get out of the jam.
“It’s tough to see Addy [Adelaida Sierra] get hurt,” said Stoughton. “Not just because of how much she means to the team, but she’s battled injuries the last two years and she finally was having a good, healthy start to the year.”
Clemens tacked on one more run on a sacrifice fly, but Perez limited the damage as the Lady Rattlers came to bat in the final inning down 5-3.
Emalyn Martinez crushed a double off the top of the wall in left-center field with one out, coming around to score on a single by Arianna Flores with two outs to make it 5-4. Flores advanced to second on a passed ball in the following at-bat, but was stranded there as Clemens struck out the final batter to seal the win.
The Lady Rattlers will look to regroup this weekend in tournament play in the Corpus Christi ISD Bayfront Bash, taking on Harlingen in the opener.
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