Rattlers Varsity Baseball ends Spring Break on a high note, striking the Jaguars with impressive and powerful pitching. Kaleb Rogers was deadly on the hill for Reagan. The starter faced 29 batters in 6.2 innings, striking out 5 and walking only 1. He allowed 8 hits and 0 runs. Rogers recorded 20 outs, methodically hitting his spots and causing the Jaguars to pop out 7 times and ground out 6 times. Darden Wetherell came in to close the game in the top of the 7th with 2 outs and 2 runners on base. The cool and collected Wetherell struck down the last batter in 3 pitches. He skillfully pitched strike 1 looking, strike 2 looking, and then pitched into a ground out from shortstop Jeter Battles to first baseman Caden Roy.
The Rattlers scored their first run in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Caleb Crider led off with a line drive single to center field then Javi Cuevas followed with a sacrifice bunt. Jeter Battles recorded 1 of the 2 RBIs in the game when he knocked in Crider from 2nd base with a hard ground ball single to left field. The Rattlers’ second run came in the bottom of the 5th, started off by a ground ball single to third base from Battles. Battles advanced to second base after a rough collision with the first baseman and an errant throw that went into the dugout. Caden Crofts sacrifice bunted to the pitcher, moving Battles to third base. Battles scored on a line drive single to center field from Elias Leon. The Rattlers had 7 hits in the game with Battles recording 2, Leon 1, Isaiah Robledo 1, “Big Mike” Michael Yzaguirre 2, and Crider 1.
The game was intense, as it always is, but the Rattlers were focused on their goal. The Jaguars were denied a run in the top of the 2nd inning when the catcher, Leon, tagged the runner out at home after the runner attempted to draw a balk from Rogers on his massive lead down the third base line and tried to steal home.
The Rattlers face off with Churchill on Tuesday, March 19 @4:30 pm at North East Sports Park. Tickets are available through Hometown Tickets at https://my.hometownticketing.com/agency/3fc66759-ed24-4d1f-bd21-d74fa9cf7641
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