Final Stats

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Saint Mary's baseball team used a big two-out rally in the seventh to come from behind, then held off a ninth-inning rally by Santa Clara to even the teams' three-game West Coast Conference series with a 6-5 victory in game two at Stephen Schott Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Gaels' (11-8, 2-3 WCC) seventh-inning go-ahead rally was almost for naught after getting the first two batters of the seventh on base had it not been for Joey Fiske. Brett Rasso's sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position with one out, but an infield fly left it up to Fiske with two down. Already 0 for 2 on the day and coming off of a four-strikeout night on Friday, he took the second pitch he saw right back up the middle, scoring Austin Chauvin and Matt Green to tie the game at 2-2.
  
  
• But the Gaels weren't done after that. SMC would tally six straight two-out hits - five of them on the first or second pitch of the at-bat - as they scored six runs to take a 6-2 lead. Ryan Novis, JC Santini, Kevin Milam, and Chauvin all delivered RBI hits in the rally.
  
  
• Santa Clara (14-6, 3-2 WCC) clawed back with a single run in the seventh to make it 6-3, then threatened to walk off in the bottom of the ninth. The Broncos loaded the bases in the final inning and scored twice on a hit-by-pitch and a fielder's choice, making it 6-5. They would load them again with a two-out walk, putting the potential winning run at second for Niko Holm, but closer Michael Hobbs got him to bounce out to third, ending the game.
  
  
• Both starting pitchers engaged in a duel through the first four innings. Neither arm allowed a run while only allowing two hits each. Broncos starter Alex Waldsmith issued three walks but only allowed one runner past first base. Milam's first free pass issued didn't come until the fourth inning, but he also was stingy with base runners, only allowing one runner to advance past first.
  
  
• The Broncos finally broke through against Milam in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI double from Jason Dicochea to take a 1-0 lead. The run was unearned after Matt Smithwick led off the inning reaching on an error. After moving Dicochea over to third on a sac-bunt, the Broncos added another run on an SMC wild pitch, grabbing a 2-0 advantage.

• 1st: JC Santini recorded his first collegiate hit and RBI. Ryan Novis also recorded his first hit and RBI of 2018.
• 5: Hobbs recorded his fifth save of the season. He threw 2 2/3 innings and only gave up three hits with a strikeout and a walk.
• 6: Saint Mary's scored six runs on six straight hits in the top of the seventh, all with two outs. The Gaels batted around in the inning, sending 12 batters to the plate.
• 10: The Gaels had 10 hits Saturday. It was their first game with double-digit hits since March 9 at Washington State.

• The series finale is scheduled for noon Sunday. Left-hander Ken Waldichuk is scheduled to start for the Gaels against a Santa Clara starter still to be announced. Fans can find all live coverage links on SMCGaels.com.