Box Score DAVIS, Calif. – The Gaels season opener was suspended due to darkness just before going into the bottom of the ninth with SMC up 4-2. The game was resumed on Saturday and Saint Mary's held on for the win.
 
Saint Mary's had a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth after Gavin Napier smacked a base hit up the middle with the infield in, plating Ryan Ellis who led off the top of the ninth with a pinch-hit triple. That was followed by a base hit through the right side from Christian Almanza to put runners at the corners with one out. The Gaels would then call for a safety squeeze and Javy Espinoza laid down a perfect bunt to bring in Napier for the Gaels first two-run lead of the game.
 
Ellis' lead-off triple in the ninth was almost a carbon copy of the Gaels first hit of the season in the first inning. Blake McDonald hit a liner over the head of the right fielder who initially came in after misreading the ball. McDonald made it all the way to third for a triple, but Aggies third baseman Kyler Arenado robbed Chris Santiago of a hit down the line to end the threat. It was a frozen rope off the bat of Santiago that would have landed inside the bag and potentially been extra bases without the diving stop by the cousin of big leaguer Nolan Arenado.  
 
But in the second inning, a Kyle Velazquez double to right center with two outs was followed by a base hit to right by Marc Goulart to plate the Gaels first run of the season and make it 1-0 Saint Mary's
 
Jackson Hulett got the start for the Gaels and the El Cajon, Calif. native, who has primarily been a reliever in his career, held his own as a starter. The Gaels faced a first-and-third jam with one out when wild pitch from Hulett tied the game. But he immediately got a pop up and a strike out to get out of the jam.
 
In the third a bases-loaded, bloop single by Christopher Campos plated McDonald to put the Gaels back on top by a run at 2-1.
 
A sinking liner into right center dropped in front of Blake Mann after almost making a diving play to start the fourth that put a runner on second. That was followed by an excuse me swing ground out get the runner to third. Santiago then returned the favor to Arenado with his own bit of highway robbery when he made a diving play on a liner that would have been just inside the bag as well.
 
That would be the end of Hulett's day with a runner on third and two outs as Ryan Wiltse came into the game and walked the first two batters he faced on full counts. But the Fresno, Calif. native froze the next batter with fastball in inside part of the plate on 2-2 count to escape a bases-loaded jam.
 
But in the bottom of the fifth a solo shot from the Aggies tied the game at two, but Wiltse would limit the damage to just the one run with some help from Seth Nager who made a diving grab at the warning track to end the inning.
 
Christopher Campos moved from shortstop to pitcher for the eighth inning and an error by Velazquez who moved from second to short started the bottom of the eighth. That was followed by a will pitch, but Campos got a pop up into foul territory near third base and then a 5-3 ground out moved up both runners up to second and third before the Gaels intentionally walked Arenado. Campos would get out of this bases-loaded jam with a perfect off-speed pitch on the outside corner to a left-handed batter to preserve the tie going into the ninth.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Campos was 2 for 4 on the day with an RBI. Hulett went 3.1 innings allowing just one run with one walk and three strikeouts.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will finish the suspended game at 1:00 p.m. before playing game two against Aggies. Owen Cuffe is the scheduled starter for the Gaels in game two.
 
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