Final Stats

SAN DIEGO -- The Saint Mary's baseball team rallied late in a big way Friday, coming from behind to take a four-run lead in the eighth inning, but host San Diego also had a comeback in it, scoring five runs in the bottom of the eighth and stranding the tying run in scoring position in the ninth to win the game one of a West Coast Conference series, 9-8, at Fowler Park.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Saint Mary's (17-15, 6-7 WCC) rallied for three runs in the seventh to go ahead 6-4 - all with two outs. Brett Rasso started the rally with a two-out double down the left field line. Then Jackson Thoreson doubled him home off a brand-new relief pitcher to tie the game. Two walks later, Edward Haus came through with a bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single to give the Gaels the lead.
  
  
• SMC then added to its lead, going up 8-4 in the eighth inning. Senior Austin Piscotty, starting just his second game of the year and first since Opening Day on Feb. 16, led off the top of the eighth with his second career home run, a no-doubter far over the left field wall to give Saint Mary's a 7-4 advantage. The Gaels would load the bases with one out, setting up Matt Green's sacrifice fly that made it 8-4.
  
  
• But San Diego (17-17, 7-6 WCC) got to the Gaels' bullpen in the eighth. Each of the Toreros' first four batters reached, three of them on three consecutive walks. Kevin Collard made it 8-6 with a sacrifice fly after the Gaels had walked in USD's first run. Jeff Houghtby made it 8-7 with an RBI single, and pinch-hitter Dante Gutierrez followed to put the Toreros ahead for good with a two-run single through the right side, past a diving Haus at second base.
  
  
• SMC trailed 4-1 after three innings, but it threatened regularly in the game. The Gaels got two free runs in the fourth thanks to a throwing error by San Diego catcher Jay Schuyler, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Green and Haus led off the inning with back-to-back singles, then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch before coming home on the error. But the Gaels would not score again until the seventh, loading the bases in the fifth without scoring and going down in order in the sixth.
  
  
• Saint Mary's got the tying run to second base in the top of the ninth after a leadoff walk to Austin Chauvin. But after a sacrifice bunt, a strikeout and a deep flyout would end the game. It was the sixth runner the Gaels left in scoring position in the game and the 11th runner on base left on by SMC overall.

• 3 for 5: Haus and Thoreson both went 3 for 5 in the game to lead all players. It was Haus' fifth three-hit game this season and marked a season-high for Thoreson, tying his career best for a single game.
• 7: San Diego committed seven errors in the game. Those seven errors led to four unearned runs scored by the Gaels.
• 11: SMC and USD combined to issue 11 walks on Friday. Six of those walks would end up scoring runs. SMC also stranded 11 runners in the game.

• Game two of the series is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday. Saint Mary's righty Kevin Milam (4-2, 2.23 ERA) is scheduled to face San Diego lefty Chris Murphy (4-2, 4.44 ERA). Fans can find all live coverage links on SMCGaels.com.