SAN ANTONIO – Less than a week removed from their last meeting in the tournament finale in Houston on Sunday, Tarleton was stifled in a 3-1 loss to the Rattlers Friday afternoon to open a three-game series at Dickson Stadium.
 
"Fernando (Fernandez) did a really nice job of competing and getting us outside of our approach," said head coach Bryan Conger. "We were never really able to get into a flow offensively. On that same note, Evan (Pontley) did a nice job of competing and executing pitches today. He was able to limit their offensive opportunities and he gave us a chance.
 
"The good thing about baseball is that we get the chance to come back tomorrow and continue to work to improve," he added.
 
Tarleton got the scoring started with its lone run of the afternoon in the third. Ruben Rodriguez doubled down the left field line with one away and, two batters later, came around to score on an RBI single up the middle from Blake Adams for a 1-0 lead.
 
The Rattlers pieced together two runs in the bottom of the fourth and added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth for their runs of the game.
 
Led by another strong start from Evan Pontley, the Texan pitching staff was locked in a pitcher's duel. Pontley threw the first six innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out three. The combination of Connor Flanagan and Trent Stafford threw the final two innings and allowed just the insurance sacrifice in the eighth.
 
Flanagan got out of a jam in the seventh when a single and an error allowed a runner to second to lead things off in a 2-1 game. The junior right-hander responded with three straight swinging strikeouts to escape the jam.
 
St. Mary's starter Fernando Fernandez pitched the complete game, allowing one run on six hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts.
 
Tarleton had its chances offensively with six hits and three walks, led by a two-hit performance from Francisco Rodriguez. Adams, Dylan Lemons, Jared McCarver, and Ruben Rodriguez had one hit each for Tarleton. Ruben nearly turned the game on its ear with a long fly ball that fell two feet short of a two-run home run in the top of the seventh.
 
The Texans and Rattlers will resume action tomorrow afternoon with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in San Antonio.