The matchup on Tuesday was filled with drama right off the bat. The Rattlers’ offense started off slow, going 3-up, 3-down in the top of the 1st inning. Starting pitcher for the Rattlers, Kaleb Rogers, was not getting any breaks from the umpire and walked 3 batters. With the fans in the stands on pins and needles, Kyle Hoggatt took over on the bump with bases loaded and no outs. K. Hogg immediately started throwing darts, and induced a pop out to Michael Yzaguirre in CF with his first pitch. Hoggatt got the Rattlers out of the inning with 6 pitches and only 1 run scored. “Big Mike” Michael Yzaguirre got the Rattlers on the board in the top of the 2nd with a huge line drive double to LF off the fence, scoring Keegan Baldwin. Reagan took the lead in the 3rd with a hard ground ball RBI single to LF from Caden Crofts that scored Jeter Battles.
After pitching 3.2 innings with 1 strikeout, 1 walk, and allowing 3 hits and 1 run (zero earned), the targeted Hoggatt came out of the game in the bottom of the 4th. Cody Pictrowski entered in relief for Reagan with 2 outs and runners on first and third. With the momentum shifting to the Broncos on a score off a Rattler error, the Rattlers showed their defensive prowess. Trying to induce a balk, the first base runner took off while Pictrowski was set. Javi Cuevas and Battles had the first base runner in a pickle, and Battles waited until the last moment and threw a laser on the run to get the pick off at third base, deflating the Broncos. Battles padded the 4-2 lead in the top of the 6th with a hard ground ball to CF that scored Baldwin and Crider. Cody’s commanding curveball kept the Broncos second-guessing themselves. Pictrowski’s proficient pitching performance held the Broncos to 2 runs in his 2 innings pitched, striking out 3, walking 0, and allowing 1 hit.
Darden Wetherell closed the game for the Rattlers, entering in the bottom of the 6th with 2 outs and a runner on first. Wetherell got out of the inning with 2 pitches, causing a pop out to Crider at third base. Wetherell buckled down in the bottom of the 7th after walking the lead-off batter and giving up a single to LF. Wetherell pitched the next batter into a double play from Battles to Caden Roy and struck out the last batter.
Kyle Hoggatt was credited with the win. The Rattlers came through at the plate with hits from Elias Leon, Yzaguirre, Crofts, Crider, Isaiah Robledo, Ryland Rangel, and Battles. RBIs were collected by Yzaguirre, Crofts, Robledo, and Battles (2).
The Rattlers take on the Clark Cougars on Thursday, March 27 at the Northside Field #1 ( 7001 Culebra Rd) @ 7:30 pm. Tickets are available through https://www.nisd.net/district/athletics/high-school-tickets
#StrikeEm#Fight98