MORAGA, Calif. — After dropping their series opener against San Diego on Friday, Saint Mary's Baseball needed a bounce-back performance. While sloppy at times, the Gaels were able to lean on their solid pitching staff and some timely hitting to get past the Toreros and leave with their first WCC win since the 2019 season, a 4-3 victory over San Diego. Both teams are now 1-1 in conference play, with the Gaels improving to 11-8 overall while snapping a nine-game winning streak for USD and sending them to 12-4.
 
MISTONE MAKES IT HAPPEN
Nick Mistone has helped lengthen this Gaels lineup while playing steady defense in a variety of positions, and that was on display again Saturday afternoon. He drove home the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning, with a solid single to right field to score Christopher Campos, putting the Gaels up 4-3. For Mistone, it was his eighth RBI of the season, which is good for third best on the team. He was also involved in the second inning when Saint Mary's put up three runs on the board, reaching on an error and coming around to score.
 
TAKING ADVANTAGE
The Gaels got their first chance to take a lead in the series in the second inning, and they did not miss it. Austin Elder led off the inning with his first hit of the season, and he advanced to second after Mistone reached on a fielding error by Cody Jefferis. Gabe Giosso followed with a hard-hit grounder up the middle for an RBI single, putting the Gaels up 1-0. That is when the wheels fell off in the inning for San Diego, as Javy Espinoza singled to the right side, but a throwing error moved everybody up an extra base and scored Mistone. After an intentional walk to Jacob Talamante, the Gaels got their third run on a wild pitch, with Giosso making a break for the plate and just getting in ahead of the throw. Saint Mary's has now outscored opponents 21-6 in the second inning this year.
 
BOWER OUTAGE, PART V
In a lot of areas, Saturday's start for Sam Bower might have been his worst of the season. He did allow three runs, after all, which is a season-high. However, all three of those runs were unearned. He also walked just his second batter of the season, but he was able to sprinkle in just five hits allowed across seven strong innings, while striking out five. He needed just 88 pitches to get through seven innings and pick up his third win of the season. In the fourth, it was Adam Lopez bringing home a run on a single, set up by a fielding error from Bower. In the fifth, San Diego plated two after opening the inning with two on and no outs, but it was a throwing error by Campos that allowed one to score, and then a single after that by Tora Otsuka to tie the game. Aside from those innings, Bower was just as dominant as he has been all season, dropping his ERA to 1.05.
 
THE CLOSER
Michael Hobbs was given the ball in the eighth and ninth innings on Saturday, tasked with picking up his second save of the year. The big right-hander was on from his first pitch, needed just six pitches to retire the side in the eighth, before tossing a scoreless ninth inning. Hobbs capped off his outing with a strikeout of Jack Costello on a high fastball, and he turned around and screamed to his fielders in celebration. As a team, the Gaels now have nine saves on the year, coming from five different pitchers.
 
UP NEXT
The three-game series against the Toreros concludes on Sunday afternoon with Ky Bush getting the start for Saint Mary's, making his first Sunday appearance of the season. He will be opposed by Brycen Mautz in a battle of left-handers. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 pm.