MORAGA, Calif. — In a quick midweek contest against San Jose State, Saint Mary's Baseball reached the midway point in a season-long nine-game home stand. The Gaels turned to the bullpen to get them through nine innings of work, but it was the late offense that propelled the Gaels to a 4-2 win over the Spartans, running their record to 4-7 while dropping San Jose State to 5-8.
 
LATE LIFE
 
The Gaels got their first two runs of the game early, but failed to add on any more until the bottom of the eighth inning. After Gio Diaz and Ryan Novis walked to open the inning, Christopher Campos came up in a clear sacrifice situation. After whiffing on his first attempt, he showed bunt again, but this time, the Gaels put a hit-and-run on, which left the middle of the diamond completely vacant. Campos dropped a little blooper right behind second base for a hit, allowing Diaz to score and giving the Gaels a 3-2 lead. Matt Green would later add a sacrifice fly for a final insurance run, but it was a big lift for the Gaels on the second collegiate RBI for Campos.
 
ON THE BOARD FIRST
 
Saint Mary's got their first two runs of the ballgame in the third inning, and it all started after a Kyle Velazquez walk. That brought up newly-minted leadoff hitter Nico Lima, who now leads the Gaels with 11 RBIs after he blasted a double down the left field line to drive in the game's first run. Immediately following a wild pitch that moved Lima to third, Jacob Talamante delivered his second hit in as many trips to the plate with a double to deep left field, making it 2-0 Gaels. Saint Mary's has now scored first in two of their four wins this season.
 
STAFF DAY
 
With the midweek game coming in close proximity to a pair of series, the Gaels opted to use a bullpen day to get them through Tuesday, and the pitchers did their part, limiting the Spartans to eight hits and just two runs. Jackson Hulett got the official "start," pitching a scoreless first inning. Six Gaels arms followed him, with Liam Steigerwald getting the win after pitching the final two innings in perfect fashion. Ryan Sanders made his collegiate debut, getting a strikeout in the first batter he faced in the second. Other scoreless outings were thrown by Nathan Schneider (1.1 innings), Ryan Taurek (2.2 innings), and Andrew Hansen (1.1 innings).
 
QUOTABLE

"I was just saying that I got to make contact, which I was able to do," Christopher Campos said of his go-ahead single in the eighth. "I got really lucky that they left the middle wide open for me." Of the recent turnaround for the Gaels offensively, Campos noted "we are just going pitch-by-pitch now and not worried about the last at bat. We're just flushing it away and moving on to the next at bat and the next pitch we have."
 
UP NEXT
 
Saint Mary's welcomes in Seton Hall for a three-game series at Louis Guisto Field beginning on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 pm. Carlos Lomeli will get the ball to open the series, winless in his first three starts, but with a 2.37 earned run average. This will be the first time in program history the Gaels have played the Pirates.
 
#GaelsRise - Season tickets ($80 for adults, $60 for youth/seniors), single game tickets, and group tickets are available. To purchase tickets, click here.