BSB | Current Gaels Beat Alumni in Inaugural Alumni Game
2/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MORAGA, Calif. — The sun shined and the smell of hot dogs was in the air Sunday at Louis Guisto Field, even though it was still January.
The Saint Mary's baseball team brought back the feeling of spring Sunday with a 16-2 win over a team of Gaels Alumni, emerging victorious in the first Alumni Game of head coach Eric Valenzuela's three-year tenure.
The current Gaels got their first taste of outside competition in 2016, though it was against some familiar players. The Alumni team boasted about three dozen players with Saint Mary's history that ranged from the late 1980s-early 1990s all the way through the current decade (2010s).
What a special weekend this was, and to finish it off today with about 50 alums here, it was pretty special weekend," said Valenzuela. "The game was competitive. They still have minor leaguers who are still playing and a lot of good players over there, so it was a very competitive game for us and we tried to make it as realistic as possible."
Offense and pitching both shined Sunday for the 2016 Gaels. 10 players had at least one hit and nine drove in at least one run. Saint Mary's hit nine doubles in the game and saw 11 different players score at least one run. On the mound, the SMC pitching staff held the Alumni scoreless in eight of nine innings and recorded strikeouts in all but one inning.
Corbin Burnes earned the win for the current Gaels, throwing two shutout innings with two strikeouts and no walks while surrendering just one single. Burnes did not allow a ball out of the infield and no runners reached scoring position during his two innings of work.
Zach Kirtley led the Saint Mary's offense, going 4 for 6 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Logan Steinberg also had two doubles while going 2 for 2 with two RBIs. Charles Zaloumis (2 for 4, three RBIs) and Edward Haus (2 for 3, two RBIs) also had two doubles each.
I like the fact that we had one walk in nine full innings, and even that walk was a close one," said Valenzuela. "From an offensive standpoint, I thought early in the game we weren't very aggressive, but as the game went on I thought the swings were good and we finally put some balls in play. I think some nerves as well for our guys, to have another team in the other dugout, so overall this was really good for us because you get another team over there, even though they are Gaels, it's kind of a fun deal, but still it was competitive. It was good to see all around, we played good defense."
Saint Mary's took a 2-0 lead over the Alumni in the second inning with two unearned runs, then scored three more in the third with two leadoff doubles and a walk. RBI doubles from Nate Nolan and Steinberg made it 5-0.
The Alumni got on the board in the sixth inning thanks to a two-out, two-RBI double by Dan Carnazzo, making it 5-2. Carnazzo played for the Gaels in 1990-91 and led the Gaels in batting average in 1990. His mark of .382 that season is still eighth-best all-time in a single season at Saint Mary's.
The pitching tandem of Jordan Mills (2011-13), Brad Nease (2011-14), Ben Griset (2011-13) and Ryan Brockett (2011-14) held the current Gaels without a hit for three innings from the fourth through the sixth. They only allowed two base runners on an error and a fielder's choice while racking up four strikeouts during that stretch.
But the 2016 Saint Mary's offense would explode in the seventh, scoring seven runs after the first seven batters all reached safely. Saint Mary's led 12-2 after the seventh-inning rally, and would add another in the eighth and three more in the bottom of the ninth to win 16-2.
There's a lot of things we have to do in a short amount of time," said Valenzuela about preparing for the upcoming 2016 season opener on Feb. 19. "We're still a ways away from being totally ready to play, but we have to get to work and utilize these three weeks to the fullest."
The 2016 season opens at home on Feb. 19 versus Seattle. Season tickets, group tickets, multi-game plans and single game tickets are available for purchase on SMCGaels.com or by calling (925) 631-GoTx.
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