Final Box Score Game 1

Final Box Score Game 2

MORAGA, Calif. -- In the season's first conference home series, Saint Mary's (11-26,1-4 WCC) dropped a pair of close games in the doubleheader Saturday against Loyola Marymount (21-21-1, 4-1 WCC) at Cottrell Field.

Game 1
Loyola Marymount 4, Saint Mary's 0

HOW IT HAPPENED
Throughout the match up, an intense pitching duel played out between Saint Mary's and Loyola Marymount. Saint Mary's freshman Eileen Perez pitched for five scoreless innings as LMU's junior Hannah Bandimere pitched a shutout game, only allowing two hits.

Perez pitched 6.2 innings in the loss while Eryn McCoy pitched the remaining 0.1 inning. The freshman pitcher struck out one hitter and scattered nine hits over her six innings pitched.

Trailing by one at the bottom of the fourth, Hailey Sparacino hit a single and advanced to second after a Lion's error. In the bottom of the sixth, Nikki Alexander became the second Gael of the day to reach base after singling up the middle.

In the top of the seventh and with bases loaded, Sabrina Lebou hit one to the left allowing all three players on base to score and give LMU the 4-0 win.

Game 2
Loyola Marymount 4, Saint Mary's 2

HOW IT HAPPENED
In game two of the doubleheader, Hannah Chew blasted a homer down center field to give the Gaels an early lead 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning.

The Lions took the lead, 2-1, in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run into left field. At the top of the fifth, the Lions brought in two more runs to increase their lead, 4-1.

In the bottom of the seventh, freshman Julia McCormack homered one to left field to cut the deficit, 4-2.

The Gaels offense managed five hits throughout the game as Kimiko Zapanta, Dylan Linton, and Abbey Mariani each had singles while McCormack and Chew hit the solo home runs.

Katlyn Whitt pitched 4.2 innings while Eryn McCoy came in as a reliever and pitched 2.1 innings. The senior pitcher Whitt had two strikeouts and allowed six hits throughout her four innings.

QUICK FACTS

• Chew now has two home runs on the season. Her previous high of homers in a single season was one in 2017.
• As a team, the Gaels now have 14 homers on the season, tying the team's total from 2016 and surpassing the eight home runs in 2017.

• Saint Mary's will face the Lions in the series finale tomorrow at 12 p.m. PDT from Cottrell Field.
• Live stats link can be found on the Gaels' softball schedule page.