LOS ANGELES, Calif.- The Saint Mary's softball team opened up Pacific Coast Softball Conference play today on the road, dropping both games of a doubleheader to Loyola Marymount. After struggling at the plate as of late and scoring only five runs in their last seven games, the Gaels exploded on Saturday for nine runs and three home runs in two games, but it was not enough as the Lions mounted comebacks in both games.

In game one, the Gaels led at two different times but the Lions were able to answer and eventually defeated SMC 8-5. Saint Mary's (4-15, 0-2 PCSC) dropped a heartbreaker in game two, as Loyola Marymount (18-20, 2-0 PCSC) hit a walk off homerun in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 5-4 win.

Megan Smith, Rebecca Sabatini, and Maryanne Cronin all hit homeruns for the Gaels on Saturday, after Saint Mary's had only hit three in the first 17 games of the season. Smith finished the day going 3-for-6 with two RBI, while Michelle Mounts also collected three hits, going 3-for-7 with two RBI as well.

Game One
Despite leads on two different occasions, the Gaels dropped game one by a score of 8-5.

After LMU opened up the game with a run in the bottom of the first, SMC scored a run in the second and two in the third to go up 3-1. An RBI single by Smith in the second and a two-RBI double by Mounts in the third helped the Gaels take the lead.

Saint Mary's starting pitcher Britany Linton was dealing through the first four innings, giving up the one run in the bottom of the first and allowing just one hit. Unfortunately it did not last, as the Lions exploded for three runs in the fifth to regain the lead.

The Gaels took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth off back-to-back homers. R. Sabatini hit her first homerun of the season with one out in the inning, while Smith hit her team-leading second homerun of the year right after.

The Lions stormed back once again in the sixth, exploding for four runs on five hits to earn the 8-5 win.

Mounts and Smith both went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in game one.

Linton (4-5) took the loss for the Gaels, going 5.1 innings, giving up eight hits, seven runs, six earned, while giving up five walks and striking out four. Freshman Audrianna Solari replaced Linton in the sixth, going 0.2 innings, giving up two hits, and one earned run.

Game 2
In game two, it was the Gaels turn to mount a big comeback. After being shutout through the first five innings and trailing 4-0 going into the top of the sixth, SMC exploded for four runs in the inning to tie things up.

Brittany Sabatini opened up the inning with a single, and Mounts followed that up with a double to left center. Cronin came up to the plate and belted a three-run homerun to put the Gaels within one run of the Lions. An RBI single by Mandy Camuso scored R. Sabatini to tie the game up at four.

For the second time this season, the Gaels were victim to a walk off home run in the bottom of the seventh. LMU third baseman Harman hit the walk off blast to left center off SMC starting pitcher Jessica Lemmon with one out to give the Lions the win.

Camuso was 2-for-2 in the game with an RBI and a walk, while Cronin was 1-for-4 with three RBI.

Lemmon (0-5) went 6.1 innings, giving up six hits, five runs, three earned, with six walks.

The Gaels return to action tomorrow with another doubleheader against Loyola Marymount beginning at 12 p.m.