Three Rattler pitchers displayed their pitching prowess, allowing only 1 hit and 0 walks and sitting down 17 of 18 batters that entered the box. Caleb Crider started on the bump for Reagan, pounding the strike zone. Crider’s efficiency set the tone of the game. Crider pitched 4 innings, striking out 8 of the 12 batters he faced with 44 pitches. Luke Davis entered in relief in the 5th inning and kept the Rattlers’ dominance on the mound going. Davis gave up a hit to the first batter only to pick him off at first base after he struck out the second batter. “LD” followed up with another strikeout. The pitching torch was passed to Jeter Battles in the 6th inning. Battles proceeded to finish the job with 3 strikeouts in 12 pitches.
Offensively, the Rattlers took advantage of free bases, collecting 7 walks and 3 hit-by-pitches as well as 6 stolen bases. Stolen bases were recorded for Caden Crofts, Javi Cuevas, Michael Yzaguirre, Battles, Keegan Baldwin, and Aiden Mlynek. Elias Leon got the Rattlers on the board in the bottom of the 1st with a line drive single to RF that scored Crofts. Reagan added another run in the 2nd with a sac fly from Battles to LF that scored Karsten Holman who had singled on a line drive to LF. Caden Roy moved Holman into scoring position when he crushed a ball to LF for the only double in the game. The Rattlers added 2 runs in the 3rd with another single from Leon, a fielder’s choice from Yzaguirre, a sac fly from Holman, and an RBI single from Roy. Battles singled on a hard ground ball to CF in the 4th, stole second base, and scored on an error, bringing the score to 4-0. The Rattlers ran away with the game in the 5th, adding 4 runs. Yzaguirre led off the inning with a hard ground ball single to SS, beating out the throw. Yzaguirre scored after the Roughriders hit a batter and walked 2. Holman scored on wild pitch, then Battles hit a sac fly to LF, scoring Will McPherson. Chase Portillos hit an RBI line drive single to CF, scoring Cuevas. Reagan ended the game in the bottom of the 6th with Mlynek reaching on an error, Roy drawing a walk, a hard ground ball single to third base from Cuevas, then Mlynek scoring on a passed ball.
The Rattlers take on the Brandeis Broncos for the last game of district play on Thursday, April, 25 at North East Sports Park @4:30 pm. Tickets are available at https://my.hometownticketing.com/agency/3fc66759-ed24-4d1f-bd21-d74fa9cf7641
#StrikeEm#Fight98