MORAGA, Calif. — Sunday marked the end of the weekend series against UC Riverside for Gaels Baseball, and all facets of the game were working for SMC. The bats came alive, they received their best start of the season, and the defense played clean baseball as Saint Mary's salvaged the final game of the series for a 7-2 win over UC Riverside, improving to 3-7 on the year and opening up March with a win.
 
POWERFUL PONCE
 
It's tough to envision a better start then the one Dalton Ponce delivered for the Gaels on Sunday, earning his first win of 2020. Ponce gave up a leadoff double on the first pitch of the game, eventually coming around to score, but then retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced. When head coach Greg Moore pulled him from the game, he had gone 7.1 innings, the longest start of any Gael this season. Ponce scattered four hits across his time on the mound, walked just one and struck out four. 
 
SPARK PLUG
 
It felt like if the Gaels were going to get the bats going, senior center fielder Ryan Novis might have something to do with that, and sure enough, that was the case on Sunday. In the first inning, down a run, Novis dropped a double into right center with two men on base to score them both and give the Gaels a 2-1 lead. For Novis, it was just the second extra-base hit of the season, but it was just the start of his day. He singled and scored later in the sixth, part of a four-run inning for the Gaels that blew the game open.
 
SPEAKING OF THE SIXTH
 
That was the inning the Gaels blew the game open, scoring four times for their biggest inning of the year. It all began with three consecutive singles from Gio Diaz, Novis, and Christopher Campos to load the bases. Matt Green drove home a run on a sacrifice fly, moving all three runners up, and then Gabe Giosso busted it open with a two-run single. It was all part of a successful afternoon for Giosso, who went 2-3 with a pair of singles and RBIs, as well as two runs and a stolen base. With two down in the inning, Kyle Velazquez got his first double of the season to left field that scored Giosso and made it 7-1 SMC.
 
AMONG OTHER NUMBERS
 
The Gaels turned to Andrew Hansen and Nathan Schneider to get the final five outs, which they were able to do despite allowing one run in the ninth…Sunday marked the first win versus a right-handed starter for the Gaels in 2020…Saint Mary's has now scored at least seven runs in all three wins this year…the Gaels stole five bases in the three-game series versus UC Riverside, after stealing just two in their first seven games.
 
UP NEXT
 
Midweek baseball is back at Louis Guisto Field as the Gaels welcome in San Jose State for a Tuesday affair on March 3. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 pm. Following the game, the Gaels will take Wednesday off before hosting Seton Hall for a three-game series beginning on Thursday.
 
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