RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Going on the road for the first time this season, Saint Mary's Baseball began a four-game series with California Baptist on Friday night. With the Gaels scoring a pair of runs in the first inning, that was all the Gaels pitching staff needed, anchored by a gem from Carlos Lomeli. Saint Mary's won the opening game of the series against the Lancers 5-1, improving to 3-2 on the season while the Lancers drop to an even 2-2.
 
IT'S BEEN A WHILE
Lomeli had not been the winning pitcher for Saint Mary's since 2019, after going 0-3 despite putting up great numbers in 2020. The senior right hander out of La Habra found the winning touch on Friday night thanks to enough run support. He was stellar out of the gate, going 6.2 innings and allowing just three hits, surrendering just one walk, and striking out a career-best 11. The control for Lomeli was key, after walking four in his first start of the year against Utah Valley. His pitch count of 105 was economical, and he was in command all night.
 
THE BANK(S) IS OPEN
After the Gaels went the first four games of the season with hitting a home run, but coming close on a couple of foul balls, they finally connected in the seventh. With one out, Eric Smelko and Ryan Novis singled to put two runners on base for Justin Banks. The DH for the Gaels made the Lancers pitching staff pay, crushing a ball that cleared the yellow line above the right field fence. The three-run home run put the Gaels up 5-0, matching their most runs scored in a game this year. Saint Mary's brought Banks in to be a power threat in the middle of the order, and he has four RBIs through the first five games of the year.
 
PRODUCTION AT THE TOP
Saint Mary's got a lot of offensive production at the top of the order on Friday night, with Smelko and Novis setting the table for the Gaels to follow. Saint Mary's finished the game with a season-best 12 hits, and eight of those hits came from the first four hitters. Smelko went 3-5 with a double off the right field wall, Novis had a pair of hits and scored twice, Banks hit the home run, and Christopher Campos had a two-run single in the first inning to get the Gaels on the board.
 
GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT
Saint Mary's only needed one pitcher behind Lomeli to close off the win on Friday night, with Liam Steigerwald getting the final seven outs. With the two powerful right-handed arms on the mound, Saint Mary's recorded 16 strikeouts, easily a season-best. Steigerwald's five in relief were the most in his Gaels career, following the career-best from Lomeli. Every spot in the order for California Baptist struck out at least once.
 
UP NEXT
The Lancers and Gaels continue the four-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm. As the Gaels did last weekend, they will send Sam Bower and Ky Bush to the mound for games one and two. California Baptist will counter with Chris Burica and Ryan Delgado.
 
#GaelsRise