MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball took both games of a double header with Northern Colorado on Saturday afternoon to improve to 5-0 on the young season. It's the first time they've started 5-0 since 2012 and the third time in program history, with the other two occasions being 1976 and '77. The Gaels will attempt their first 6-0 start in program history in game three against the Bears tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.
 
The Gaels struck first in both games and again put pressure on an opponent's defense by getting runners on base, just as they did to open the season against UC Davis.
 
After Hayden Driggs walked to start the bottom of the third in game one, Seth Nager squared up to bunt him into scoring position. The pitcher fielded Nager's bunt and tried to get Driggs at second, but threw errantly allowing Driggs to get to third and Nager to reach. The transfer from Arizona State would then steal second, before a Gavin Napier sac fly drove in Driggs. Nager stole third after that and Blake McDonald drove him in with a base hit to left for a 2-0 SMC lead.
 
They'd tack on two more runs in the fourth, as Kyle Velazquez and Blake Mann both scored on wild pitches for a 4-0 Gaels lead. Northern Colorado scored a run in the top of the fifth, but the Gaels answered with another run in the bottom half of the inning when McDonald drove in Christian Almanza with a double.
 
Ryan Taurek went five innings allowing just the one run on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts for his first win of the season. Ryan Sanders pitched four scoreless innings for the save, allowing just three hits with two walks and six strikeouts to close out the Gaels 5-1 win.
 
In game two Saint Mary's again capitalized on Northern Colorado's mistakes. They scored three runs in the bottom of the third, as McDonald doubled to plate Chris Santiago and Nathan Chong. McDonald advanced to third on a fielding error and came home on a ground out by Christopher Campos to make it 3-0 Saint Mary's.
 
The Bears got right back in the game though in the top of the fourth, when they hit a two-run homer to deep left to cut it to a 3-2 Gaels lead. But Saint Mary's got one back in the bottom of the inning. Right fielder Dalton Mashore walked and stole second and third before coming in on a safety squeeze bunt by Nager to make it 4-2 SMC.
 
Northern Colorado made it a one-run game again in the top of the fifth when the Gaels made a pitching change with two outs and a runner on second. Jackson Hulett pitched will in his second start of the season, allowing just two earned runs on six hits and walking only one batter with five strikeouts. Ryan Wiltse came in to relieve him and shut the door after inducing a fly out to end the top of the fifth.
 
The Gaels would do more than just answer in the bottom of the inning. Velazquez tripled to drive in Santiago and Chong, and would come home to score on a throwing error. Almanza singled to right to plate Nager and Mashore, before a double steal by Almanza and Napier scored another run. The Gaels capped off the big inning with a triple by Chong to drive in Almanza and Saint Mary's was up 11-3 after the seven-run outburst.
 
SMC would score four more runs in the sixth as they batted around one more time and extended their lead to 16-3. Wiltse would pitch 2.1 innings to get the win before Cameron Gallardo and Casey Candiotti closed it out for Saint Mary's in a 16-4 victory.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will play Northern Colorado for game three of the series at 12:00 p.m. at Louis Guisto field.