Box Score OAHU, Hawai'i — Saint Mary's opened their season on a high note Thursday evening with a 7-5 win over Georgia State at the Hawai'i Paradise Classic. Gaels' head coach Sonja Garnett earned her first victory as the team's skipper in her inaugural season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Senior Bailey Lotz had a superb game going 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles to drive in three runs. The first baseman batted cleanup for the Gaels and made sure to do so as she left no runners on base in the game.

Nikki Alexander reached base three times and scored all three times. The junior drilled a double and also had two walks in the win.

Freshman Kalissa Heihn got her collegiate career started in an impressive fashion by cranking a two-run home run  from the leadoff spot to put the Gaels up 3-1 in the second inning. Saint Mary's would go on to score five runs in the first three innings.

Eryn McCoy started on the mound for SMC and earned the win with 5.2 innings pitched. The San Mateo, Calif. native struck out eight batters and scattered seven hits to earn the victory. Freshman Sofia Earle faced five batters and struck out two of them to earn the save in relief.

UP NEXT: DAY 2
Saint Mary's continues the three-day tournament by playing Fresno State and UT Arlington tomorrow. The action begins at 11 a.m. PST and links to both games can be found on the Gaels' schedule page.