UAFS ace
Javon Rigsby tossed his second shutout and posted his fifth complete game of the season on Friday to lead the Lions to a 2-0 win against the St. Mary's Rattlers in the opening game of their three-game Heartland Conference series at Dickson Stadium in San Antonio, Texas.
The Lions (14-12, 1-4), who snapped an uncharacteristic five-game losing streak with the win, lost the nightcap 7-6 after rallying from an early four-run deficit to lead 6-5 going into the bottom of the eighth inning.
UAFS will play for the series win at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
Live statistics and
live stream will be available.
Rigsby (3-3) scattered five hits – all singles – over seven complete innings and walked only one and struck out two to earn the win. No St. Mary's batter collected multiple hits. Second baseman Johnny Hernandez, shortstop Mario Vela, first baseman Scott Short and third baseman Jake Mares were each 1 for 3, and center fielder Derek Mueller was 1 for 2.
UAFS collected five hits – all singles – off St. Mary's ace Zach De La Garza (6-3), who suffered the complete game loss. De La Garza allowed only one earned run, walked three and struck out five over seven innings.
Right fielder
Logan Allen, who made his return to the lineup, was 1 for 4, catcher
Dylan Hurt and first baseman
Kyle Love were 1 for 2 and center fielder
Travis Young and second baseman
Logan Easley were 1 for 3.
Allen singled with one out in the sixth inning and Hurt and Love followed with singles to load the bases. Young flied out for the second out, but designated hitter
Tremarcus Koontz drew a walk from De La Garza to force in Allen for the game-winning run.
Easley then reached on a fielding error that allowed Hurt to score the Lions' second run, before De La Garza got left fielder
Spencer Sackett to hit into an inning-ending fielder's choice.
After trailing 4-0 after the first inning in the second game, UAFS rallied with runs in the fourth and a single run in the fifth and sixth innings to lead 6-5 going into the eighth inning before St. Mary's rallied to regain the lead for good.
The Rattlers got a one-out RBI single from right fielder Andrew Perez off Lions reliever
Cooper Van Kooten and a two-out RBI single by designated hitter Patrick Fennell off reliever
Korbin Polly that drove in the game-winning run.
It was the last of the Rattlers' 16 hits off three Lions' pitchers. Van Kooten (1-2), who relieved starter
Christian Goshen with one out in the fourth inning, suffered the loss, allowing two earned runs on six hits with one strikeout over four-plus innings.
Rattlers left fielder Ryan McGowen was 4 for 5 with a double, Perez was 3 for 5 with one RBI, Hernandez was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, Fennell was 1 for 4 with two RBIs, Short was 2 for 4 with one RBI and Mueller was 2 for 4 with a double.
UAFS had its chances to tie and regain the lead in the top of the ninth inning. Koontz drew a one-out walk from Rattlers reliever Mason Minister and moved into scoring position at second base on a two-out single by Sackett.
Minister, though, struck out pinch hitter
Brady Wilcox to end the Lions' threat and the game to earn the win. Minister (3-0), who was the last of three Rattlers pitchers, allowed no runs on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts over four innings of relief.
UAFS collected 11 hits off the trio of St. Mary's pitchers. Allen was 2 for 3, and Hurt, Love and Young were each 1 for 4. Koontz was 1 for 4 with one RBI, second baseman
Carter West was 1 for 3 with one RBI, Sackett was 2 for 5 with one RBI and shortstop
Brandan Warner was 2 for 2 with one RBI.
GAME ONE
HEARTLAND CONFERENCE
UAFS 2, ST. MARY'S 0
UAFS 000 002 0 -- 2 5 2
St. Mary's 000 000 0 -- 0 5 1
Rigsby and Hurt; De La Garza and Parrish. W – Rigsby, 3-3. L – De La Garza, 6-3. HRs – None.
GAME TWO
HEARTLAND CONFERENCE
ST. MARY'S 7, UAFS 6
UAFS 000 411 000 -- 6 11 3
St. Mary's 400 100 02X -- 7 16 4
Goshen, Van Kooten, Polly and Hurt: Schmidt, Dick, Minister and Parrish. W – Minister, 3-0. L – Van Kooten, 1-2. HRs – None.
