SAN DIEGO – Saint Mary's got a game-tying base hit in the top of the ninth on Friday night, but the USD got a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th to take game one of the three-game set 4-2.
 
SMC was down to their lasts strike in the top of the 9th when pinch hitter Nick Mistone drove in Trey Winget, who pinch ran for Christian Almanza, with a base hit to right. Mistone would be picked off at first base to end the top of the ninth, but the Gaels had tied the game at 2-2 on a night when runs were hard to come by for both teams.
 
The Gaels got a big caught stealing from catcher Hayden Driggs in the bottom of the ninth after Driggs had just checked into the game. But USD recorded three strikeouts of the Gaels after hitting the first batter of the 10th inning. Jackson Hulett recorded the first two outs of the 10th and after working a scoreless ninth, but then hit a batter. That was followed by a first-pitch home run to right to end the game for the Toreros.

Starting pitcher Ryan Wiltse went six innings allowing just one earned run while walking two and striking out three and Jack Snook worked a scoreless inning and a third. 

The Gaels jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Chris Santiago drove in Nathan Chong with a single to left. Though the offense would be stuck on the one run until the ninth, SMC's defense would turn some clutch double plays to eliminate nip Toreros rallies in the bed.
 
I happened in the bottom of the first and an unconventional double play ended the second inning. A walk, a single, and a hit batter loaded the bases before a grounder to Chris Campos at short led to him cutting down the runner at third, though the Toreros tied the game at 1-1.The very next batter grounded to second, and after getting the out there, they weren't quite able to get the out at first. But Almanza made a heads up play to throw home at the runner trying to score from second to end the inning.
 
A double play started by Campos in the in the fourth limited the damage to just one run, but San Diego would get that one run in the inning for a 2-1 lead.
 
The Toreros center fielder took away a double from Blake Mann in the seventh, and an interference call on pinch runner Coleman Schmidt for being too far off the bag on a take-out slide in the eighth hindered the Gaels ability to score.
 
UP NEXT
Game two is schedule to start at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday in San Diego