MORAGA, Calif. — Low-scoring games have been commonplace for Saint Mary's Softball over the last few weeks. Those exact games have been ones that the Gaels have been winning entering Wednesdays home game against San Jose State. Saint Mary's entered having won six of their last eight games, and they ran that stretch to seven of their last nine games with a 2-0 win over the Spartans. Saint Mary's improves to 11-15 while sending San Jose State to 16-14.
 
THE BIG BOPPER
Three pitches in the third inning were the difference in the game, and they all came with two outs. Marissa Nishihara was knicked by a pitch on an 0-1 count with two outs, rolling the lineup over to Sasa Koria. Saint Mary's was held hitless the first time through the order, but Koria changed that on the very first pitch. She sent a towering flyball out to left field that cleared the wall for a home run, putting the Gaels up 2-0. For Koria, it is her first home run at the collegiate level, and it gives her six runs batted in on the year.
 
NOT A ONE-HITTER, BUT…
…Sofia Earle was pretty good on Wednesday as the Gaels blanked the Spartans 2-0. Earle earned her second consecutive shutout, going the distance as she allowed just three hits along the way. She also struck out 10 Spartans in the win, her second time this season with at least 10 strikeouts in a game. Her pitching performance almost changed in the fifth inning, where she ran into some legitimate trouble. A leadoff single, followed by a walk with one out put a runner in scoring position for the first time. A two-out hit by pitch loaded the bases and put Earle on the ropes, but she got a three-pitch strikeout to end the inning and give herself some momentum heading into the final innings. Earle now has three shutouts this season, and a tiny 2.14 ERA in 72 innings.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's hosts RV Oregon State on Thursday afternoon at Cottrell Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm as the Gaels wrap up their home schedule for the month of March. This single game precedes a three-game conference series in the Pac-12 for the Beavers, who will be taking on Stanford this weekend. Saint Mary's will head to Pacific and take on Northern Colorado in a neutral-site game on Sunday.