STOCKTON, Calif.  – After losing a heartbreaker to LMU in game one, Saint Mary's did not give in to the pressure, defeating No. 2-seed Gonzaga to advance to Championship Saturday against Loyola Marymount.
 
GAME ONE
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 

• For the second-consecutive game of the tournament, Saint Mary's got their scoring going in the first. Junior Joe Vranesh led the game off with a single to right center and advanced to second on a fielding error. Two batters later, junior Kevin Milam delivered the Gaels' first run of the game with a two out, RBI single to left center.
• SMC pushed another run across in the top of the fifth: this time sophomore Gio Diaz led the frame off with a double down the right field line. Then, with one out, senior Conor Thane sent the first pitch of his at-bat into left field, scoring Diaz and giving the Gaels a 2-0 advantage.
• Loyola Marymount put together a big inning in the sixth, scoring three runs off of three hits while sending eight batters to the plate. SMC entered the seventh trailing for the first time in the tournament (3-2). 

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 5: Waldichuk struck out five-consecutive batters from two outs in the first to one out the third.
• 10: No. of strikeouts for Waldichuk – his third-highest total this season
• 3: No. of outs recorded in the Gaels' triple play in the bottom of the seventh (the first triple play in WCC Championship history) 

GAME TWO

HOW IT HAPPENED
 

• Gonzaga pulled ahead by way of a solo homerun in the top of the first off of the bat of Troy Johnston.
• Saint Mary's scored in the first inning for the third-consecutive game and it was Milam who came through for the Gaels once again: with one out and runners on first and second, he hit a long single to the left-field wall to allow Vranesh to score from second. The game headed to the second tied at one run apiece.
• The game was held scoreless until the seventh as sophomore Carlos Lomeli spun a gem. The offense came through in the bottom half of the frame, starting with a walk from senior Austin Chauvin. Sophomore Jack Murphy followed with his first hit of the tournament, a line drive to left field to put runners at first and second with no outs. Three batters and two outs later, Vranesh sent the first pitch of his at-bat over the left-center field wall, a 3-run homerun that gave Saint Mary's a 4-1 lead.
• The Zags responded with two runs of their own in the top of the eighth, scoring on three hits and a Gaels error. GU sent seven runners to the plate and their 2-run inning brought the Bulldogs to within one run (4-3).
• Junior Andrew Hansen entered the game and recorded a 1.2 inning save, giving up just two hits in the process. It was his third save of the season.

 
NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 10: Lomeli recorded his 10th win of the season on Saturday
• 4.46: Lomeli's strikeout-to-walk ratio is now at 4.46 after giving up one walk and striking out eight against the Zags
• 15: Vranesh hit his 15th homerun on the season in the bottom of the seventh, giving SMC a 4-1 lead

 
QUOTABLE
 
"Carlos has been legit for us," said head coach Eric Valenzuela. "He threw 121 pitches on short rest and gave us a chance to score runs. Now, we have to take tomorrow one game at a time,"
 
COMING UP
 
With the win in the final game against the Zags, Saint Mary's will head to Championship Saturday where they will look to defeat LMU twice to claim the WCC Title.
 
#GaelsRise