MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball has put together their first 6-0 start in program history after defeating Northern Colorado 12-0 on Saturday afternoon at Louis Guisto Field.
 
The game was a tight contest until the last few innings, as the Gaels didn't pull away for the double-digit lead until the bottom of the eighth and were up just 3-0 going into the sixth.
 
Saint Mary's scratched across a run in the bottom of the second when Seth Nager lined to center with the bases loaded for a sac fly that drove in Nathan Chong. But the Bears got a ground out to end the threat before Gaels could have a big inning.
 
The Gaels got another run when the Bears committed an error at short that allowed Blake McDonald to score in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-0. SMC loaded the bases again in the bottom of the fifth and scored a run on a double play ground out, but again Northern Colorado kept the Gaels from putting up a crooked number.
 
That would be the last time the Bears kept the Gaels from a multi-run inning. In the bottom of the fifth Christian Almanza singled out to left to drive in Nager, followed by a single from Nick Mistone to plate Javy Espinoza. A McDonald sac fly to right scored Almanza to cap a three-run inning for the Gaels that made it 6-0 Saint Mary's.
 
The Gaels would put the game out of reach in the eighth. Almanza drove in Gavin Napier to start the rally before Hayden Driggs doubled in Mistone and Almaza to make it 9-0 Saint Mary's. The final blow would be the Gaels first home run of the season when Christopher Campos belted one out to deep left to drive in Driggs and Coleman Schmidt as the three-run shot capped the scoring in SMC's 12-0 win.
 
Owen Cuffe got an inning further than he did in his first start of the season, going 4.2 innings this time out and allowed just three walks compared to the five free passes he issued against UC Davis. He still struck out six batters and only allowed two hits in his scoreless outing.
 
Jack Snook finished off the fifth and pitched two more scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no walks. Chris Santiago and Ryan Daugherty each pitched an inning to finish it out for the Gaels.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will wrap up the series with Northern Colorado at 12:00 p.m. at Louis Guisto Field.