MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's Softball returns home on Friday and Saturday to open up a three-game series against Loyola Marymount. Play begins on Friday with a doubleheader at noon, following by a single game on Saturday at 1:00 pm. The series was originally supposed to feature a doubleheader on Saturday, but rain is expected to land overnight and into the morning on Saturday in the Bay Area, forcing the schedule to shift slightly.
 
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels (13-20, 1-2) vs. Loyola Marymount Lions (25-13, 2-1)
Friday, April 15 at 12:00 pm (doubleheader)
Saturday, April 16 at 1:00 pm (single game)
Cottrell Field – Moraga, Calif.
Watch (Game 1) | Watch (Game 2) | Watch (Game 3) | Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's began West Coast Conference play last weekend on the road against the San Diego Toreros. Things looked great initially for the Gaels, who won the opener 7-1 behind a complete game from Sofia Earle and 13 hits from the offense. The rest of the series went to the Toreros, however, as they beat SMC 10-2 in five innings in game two, and snuck past the Gaels 4-3 in the series finale on Sunday. Marissa Nishihara was a thorn in the side of the Toreros all weekend, going 6-7 in the doubleheader on Saturday.
 
EBBERS EXCELLING
The Saint Mary's offense was sparked from Ellen Ebbers all game long in the series finale against USD, as she played roles in all three Saint Mary's rallies. In the second inning, it was Ebbers providing the big blast, sending a home run out to deep left field to put Saint Mary's ahead 1-0. It was her team-leading third home run of the 2022 season, and gave her 12 RBI. In the fourth, Ebbers was hit by a pitch after Indya Smith tripled, putting runners on the corners. While she didn't score, she helped set the table for Claudia Kirchner to deliver a two-out hit to give Saint Mary's a 2-1 lead. In the fifth, Marissa Nishihara opened the inning with a single, and with two outs, it was Ebbers again providing a big knock, doubling down the left field line to give SMC their third run of the game. The two-hit performance from Ebbers is her first two-hit game as a Gael.
 
STRIKEOUT CANCER
Saint Mary's Softball is hosting an amazing fundraising event for the American Cancer Society and we need your support to STRIKE OUT CANCER on Saturday afternoon. The American Cancer Society's mission is to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. To donate, click HERE. During pregame, the team will be holding up signs to honor those who have battled cancer.

ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
The Lions are coming into this second weekend of conference play with a ton of momentum, after they beat BYU in a three-game series to kickstart WCC action. After losing the series opener 4-0, the Lions stormed back to win the final two games 8-4 and 1-0, with Jenna Perez tossing 6.2 scoreless innings of one-hit softball to help clinch the series. Both the offense and the pitching are strong for LMU, as they hit .300 as a team and have a staff ERA of just 2.81. Jasmine Sofowora is the reigning WCC Player of the Week, as the freshman hit .750 with a home run and three runs scored during the series win over BYU.