SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Needing just one win to clinch a sixth consecutive qualification into the Heartland Conference Tournament, Texas A&M International faced a pair of chances on Thursday against No. 11 St. Mary's. The Dustdevils waited until the second game to punch their ticket, but did so in emphatic fashion: TAMIU fell in the opener 3-1 but stood taller in the finale, 5-0.

All in all, the series shaped up pretty evenly, with TAMIU (19-31, 10-11 Heartland Conference) outscoring the Rattlers 7-5 (43-9, 18-2 Heartland) through the three-game spread.

The Dustdevils will now travel to close their regular season at Oklahoma Christian with three games on April 25-26.

GAME 1: No. 11 StMU 3, TAMIU 1

TAMIU was allowed only three hits, scoring its only run in the fourth inning. The Dustdevils snapped their shutout to pull within one run of the Rattlers, but another St. Mary's run in the sixth all but decided the game.

Senior pitcher Kyndall Reaves pitched the complete 6-inning affair, walking three and allowing three runs – just two earned – off 11 hits. Three errors by the Dustdevils stretched the game more than it could have been, but Mariena Gallardo plated Chelsea Capello via a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Capello went 1-for-3, Cassandra De Leon went 1-for-3 and Reaves went 1-for-4. Reaves and De Leon also drew walks, while Gallardo reached after being hit by a pitch.

GAME 2: TAMIU 5, No. 11 StMU 0

Gallardo painted a masterful power-pitching performance, allowing just five Rattler hits in her 7-inning complete-game shutout. She struck out five and walked none while spreading five harmless St. Mary's hits. She carved through the nationally ranked lineup to improve to 7-11 on the season while her offense pounded 11 hits and scored single runs in the first and third innings before a monster three-run seventh.

Brenda Parnin went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and De Leon went 2-for-4 with one run. It was Gallardo that offered the most impact to her own cause, going 3-for-3 with a RBI. Reaves went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Cassie Garcia went 1-for-3. Xcaret Ramirez and Ariana Reyes each scored runs. Both Parnin and Gallardo drew walks while Parnin, De Leon (2), Garcia and Gallardo combined to belt five doubles.