MORAGA, Calif. — After seeing a lot of pitching in Friday's season opener between Saint Mary's and Utah Valley, the two teams decided they wanted more of the same on Saturday. Playing in a twin bill, the Gaels and Wolverines split their two games on Saturday, with the Wolverines taking game one 3-2 and the Gaels answering with their first win of the season in 5-2 fashion in game two. Utah Valley stands at 2-1 while the Gaels are 1-2.
 
Game 1 – Utah Valley 3, Saint Mary's 2
 
BOWER OUTAGE
Despite winding up with the loss, Saint Mary's game one starter Sam Bower was on point early in the game and finished with an impressive line. Bower retired the first ten batters he faced before Mitch Moralez tagged him for a single in the fourth inning. Bower was using his fastball to get ahead and his command was pinpoint. The Wolverines got him in trouble in the sixth, however, with a pair of singles, the latter coming from Moralez again, to score the game's first run. Bower was chased in the seventh and finished with a line 6-plus innings of work, three hits allowed, one earned run, no walks, and five strikeouts in his Saint Mary's debut
 
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR
As was the case early and often in the series opener on Friday, Saint Mary's put runners on base against Utah Valley pitching, but struggled to break through. Down 3-0 in the seventh, the Gaels had their best chance of the game after Marc Goulart led off with a double, Gabe Giosso was hit by a pitch, and Jacob Talamante walked. Jack Murphy lined a sacrifice fly to left field to score Goulart, but with one out in the inning, the Gaels could not tack on any more. In the ninth, Talamante led off with a triple to left field, but the Gaels could not add on any more baserunners after Ryan Novis brought him home with a groundout.
 
Game 2 – Saint Mary's 5, Utah Valley 2
 
FIRST CROOKED NUMBER
Saint Mary's finally broke through with a big inning in the bottom of the third, when Kyle Velazquez singled with one out and then stole second. Talamante laid down a bunt single (his third hit of the day) to put runners at the corners and then Eric Smeklo answered with a single up the middle to give Saint Mary's their first lead of the season. They weren't done, as Novis singled to center on the next pitch, and the Gaels had put up two runs in an inning for the first time this season.
 
SECOND CROOKED NUMBER
It helps to be lucky every now and again, and that's what Saint Mary's used in the bottom of the fifth to tack on two more runs. Smelko singled with one out and Novis was swinging at the first pitch again behind Smelko, doubling into the corner to put two runners in scoring position for Justin Banks. The powerful first baseman sent a bouncer to second that went under the glove of Moralez and into right field, allowing both runs to score on the error, and pushing the Gaels lead to 4-0. While Banks didn't get an RBI, he did get an RBI single to right field in his next at bat, coming in the seventh.
 
ESCAPING TROUBLE
The Gaels like what they saw out of big left-handed starter Ky Bush, who tossed five innings of shutout baseball without a walk while striking out five. He narrowly avoided allowing runs to come across in his final inning of work, however, after a one out double and a single put runners at the corners. Bush induced a shallow fly ball and a line out to end the threat and put himself in position for the win. Preston Howey was inserted into the game in the eighth inning with a quite a jam, entering with the bases loaded and one out in a 5-2 game. The freshman right-hander got a strikeout and a pop out to prevent any more runs from coming home, then closed the door with a perfect ninth inning for his first collegiate save.
 
UP NEXT
The four-game series to open the season between Utah Valley and Saint Mary's concludes on Sunday at 1:00 pm at Louis Guisto Field. Saint Mary's will send Dalton Ponce to the mound for his first start of the season after going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his first season as a starter in the rotation. He will be countered by Mason Gray for Utah Valley.
 
CARDBOARD CUTOUTS
We are all excited that Saint Mary's athletics are back, but we understand that it's not quite the same since YOU, THE FANS, are not be able to attend in person. But that doesn't mean you can't be there in body (well, sort of) and spirit, supporting your Gael Athletic Programs! For $75, you can upload your photo to represent you as a cardboard cutout in the stands at one of 6venues on campus (Women's 'Volleyball in UCU Pavilion, Men's and Women's Soccer at Saint Mary's Stadium, Baseball at Louis Guisto Field, Men's and Women's Tennis at the Korth Tennis Complex, Softball at Cottrell Field, or Beach Volleyball at Saint Mary's Campus Courts). A link for more information can be found HERE.
 
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