MORAGA, Calif. — Beginning conference play on Friday afternoon, Saint Mary's Baseball played their first West Coast Conference game since May of 2019. The Gaels and San Diego Toreros entered the series as the top two teams in the conference based on record, but one team kept up their hot play on Friday. That team was the Toreros, who used 15 hits to beat the Gaels by a final score of 7-0. With the win, USD now remains unbeaten in March and is 12-3, while the Gaels drop to 10-8.
 
RELENTLESS
A word that can be used to describe the offense of San Diego is relentless. They entered the weekend series with the Gaels ranking inside the top-20 in the NCAA in ten major offensive categories, including fifth in runs scored per game with nearly ten. They got the offense going early, scoring single runs in the first and second innings off of Gaels starter Carlos Lomeli. Perhaps the most impressive thing they did all afternoon was continue to put pressure on whoever stepped foot on the mound, as five Toreros recorded multi-hit days, including Paul Kunst, who had four hits and two runs batted in.
 
SETTLING IN
Despite the rocky beginning to the contest, Gaels starter Carlos Lomeli was able to settle in after the first two frames and really found a groove over his final four innings. Making the start on his birthday, Lomeli tossed a quality start, going six innings overall and allowing eight hits, three runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. The turning point in the game came during what was his final inning, the sixth, when he nearly escaped without allowing another run. With two outs and nobody on, Lomeli allowed a pair of infield singles, with the final of those advancing a runner to third on some heady baserunning. A wild pitch shorly after plated the third run of the game, but Lomeli still quieted (for the most part) an offense that has been untamed this year.
 
WALKING ON
Early in the game, Saint Mary's tried to take advantage of five walks issued from USD starter Jake Miller. Despite the command issues and just a start of 3.2 innings, the Toreros were not burned by the command issues. Saint Mary's got at least one runner on in each of the first six innings, and had their best chance to score in the third inning. Ryan Ellis walked with two down and Jacob Talamante hit a soft double to left-center that left a pair of runners in scoring position. A bounce out ended the inning, and it wouldn't be until the fifth when Ellis doubled that Saint Mary's had another extra base hit. A Talamante single in the eighth, followed by a Ryan Novis walk was their last chance to score, but a pair of outs to follow ended the threat.
 
UP NEXT
Game two of the three game series gets underway on Saturday, with first pitch at Louis Guisto Field scheduled for 1:00 pm. Sam Bower will get the ball for the Gaels, making his fifth start of the year and sporting the third-best earned run average in the conference. He will be opposed by the reining WCC Pitcher of the Week in Conner Thurman.