LOS ANGELES — Wrapping up a three-game series, Saint Mary's Baseball went back at it against No. 10 UCLA in an attempt to salvage one game of the weekend set. While Sunday's finale was the closest game of the series, the Gaels were still on the losing end of another pitcher's duel, this time dropping the series finale 2-0 to the Bruins. With the loss, Saint Mary's will head home with a 2-5 record, while the Bruins are now 7-0 thanks to some elite pitching.
 
HOW 'BOUT HOBBS?
 
With high-scoring affairs a lot of early-season defeats, the Gaels have not had much of a need for their dominant closer Michael Hobbs. Having already picked up a win this season, Hobbs was called on in the fifth inning of Sunday's contest and delivered against the Bruins to the tune of four shutout innings, allowing just two hits, one walk, and five strikeouts, and early season-best. The plan for the Gaels was to use Hobbs in the back of the bullpen with a lead, but thus far in 2020, Hobbs has excelled in long-relief, going at least four innings in both appearances.
 
TWO MORE
 
The great start to 2020 continues for Gio Diaz, who picked up a pair of hits again on Sunday, part of a 2-4 effort. Through seven games this season, Diaz has 15 hits, a .484 batting average, and six multi-hit games. Entering the weekend series, Diaz ranked 12^th in the country in hits, just two off the lead, and figures to be awfully close to the top of the board following a weekend that saw him rack up five more hits. 
 
ONLY TOOK TWO
 
UCLA scored both of their runs in the bottom of the third inning thanks to some great two-out hitting against Gaels starter Dalton Ponce. With one down and a man on, the Bruins laced a double to right field, but Jack McCarthy cut down a runner at the plate trying to score for the second out, keeping the game scoreless momentarily. Following the momentum shift for the Gaels, Ponce allowed three consecutive singles to score a pair of runs, and suddenly the Gaels were down a pair. Ponce did get a strikeout to end the inning and keep it at a minimal deficit, but that was all the Bruins pitching staff needed. 
 
K-COUNT
 
On the weekend, the Gaels struck out 41 times, including 13 times on Sunday. The top three in the Bruins pitching staff are some of the best arms in the country, but the Gaels had not seen that type of pitching early in the 2020 season. For their troubles, the Gaels pitching staff was able to record 21 strikeouts on the weekend, a good total given the potential of the UCLA lineup.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Gaels return to Louis Guisto Field next weekend and will stay there for a while as the Gaels open up a nine-game home stand, featuring three mid-week games in addition to two series. Up first, the Gaels host UC Riverside for a Friday-Sunday series beginning on February 28.
 
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