San Marcos found its bats in the fourth inning.
Kaylee Cavasos led the Lady Rattlers off with a double to the San Marcos softball stadium left field. Julissa Venegas was next. After staying patient, taking a full count, Venegas found her pitch. She knocked the ball over the left field fence for a two-run homer, the hosts’ first scores of the game.
The team’s next two batters scored as well. Avery Jones singled, then stole the final three bases to reach home. Bitsy Silva was walked, then turned three as well on a double from Gianna Moreno. San Marcos was beginning to build momentum.
It didn’t carry over to the defensive side of the ball, though. Cibolo Steele matched the Lady Rattlers with four runs of their own in the top of the fifth to make it 11-4 and took the victory Friday night, 17-7.
“We start trying to not make mistakes instead of trying to do well,” head coach Cathy Stoughton said. “And that’s what they’re playing with. They’re playing defensively instead of playing confidently. And that’s what’s hurting us.”
Both teams came out strong defensively to begin the game, neither allowing any runs. But when the Lady Knights batted in four runs in the third inning, San Marcos was unable to answer.
Steele stretched the lead to 7-0 in the top of the fourth before the Lady Rattlers’ found its four runs in the bottom of the frame.
“I jumped on them and told them they needed to fire up a little bit, tried to a light a fire and get some energy going,” Stoughton said. “And they came out and they were motivated and we got four runs back.”
Still, the hosts continued to struggle on defense. The visitors scored in every inning throughout the rest of the game.
The Lady Rattlers’ seven runs were the most they’d scored since March 15. But the 17 runs allowed were the second-most they’d given up all season.
“We have to find a way to fight and just keep fighting and not quit and not give up,” Stoughton said. “We’re to the point now where we let every little mistake get in our head. And it’s a domino effect on the field. We could play at a higher level than what we played at tonight, for sure.”
Moreno made the most of her trips to the plate, going 2-2 with a single, double, two walks and two RBIs. Cavasos also chipped in with two hits, batting 2-3 with a walk.
San Marcos (10-13, 1-9 district) will look to bounce back in its next game on Tuesday when the team hosts Schertz Clemens inside the softball stadium at 7 p.m. Stoughton hopes her players can find their confidence.
“We need to believe in ourselves and come out ready to go,” Stoughton said. “We need to come out and attack and believe in ourselves and give ourselves a little more credit. We’re in a tough district, you have to show up every night. And we can compete. We just can’t play timid. We have to come out aggressive and relaxed and not put pressure on ourselves.”
