SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball was up 5-0 against Santa Clara at the midpoint of the contest, but the Broncos stormed back to take game one of the series 10-5.

The Gaels struck first in the first when Christian Almanza blasted a solo homer to right field to get out to a 1-0 lead. After the first two Broncos reached in the bottom of the inning, Sam Bower struck out three straight batters to end the threat and keep Saint Mary's on top.
 
It was a big top of the third for the Gaels, as four runs came across on a wild pitch, a passed ball, an Almanza double, and a Blake McDonald base hit that made it 5-0 SMC.
 
Saint Mary's ace Sam Bower was making his third start of the season, and had thrown 51 pitches in his second outing after throwing 40 in his first appearance. The Gaels tried to get 82 pitches out of Bower on Thursday, but the last batter he faced ripped a two-run triple into the gap for the Broncos to get them on the board. The Gaels brought in Ryan Taurek, and Santa Clara would get a run on an RBI groundout to make it a 5-3 game.
 
The Gaels threatened in the top of the sixth, but couldn't get a run across. Dalton Mashore was hit by a pitch and stole second before Seth Nager walked. Nick Mistone bunted both runners over, but the Broncos retired the next two Gaels to end the rally and gain some momentum.
 
A solo home run to left center for Santa Clara cut it to one in bottom half of the sixth and they would tie it at 5-5 in the seventh on a sac fly.
 
Nager walked again in the eighth, but was caught attempting to steal second for the third out. The Broncos would break through in the eighth when they got a bases loaded single up the middle to plate a pair and go up 7-5. A bases-loaded walk brought in another run followed by another base-loaded single to drive in two more and make it 10-5 Broncos.
 
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Game two of the series with the Broncos will be at 6:00 p.m. in Santa Clara on Friday.