MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball won game two of their three-game series against No. 12 Gonzaga 4-2 on Saturday afternoon to set up a series-deciding game three on Sunday in Moraga.
 
The Gaels responded to the Zags jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third with their own rally in the bottom half of the inning.
 
It all started when Seth Nager hit his third home run of the season out to left center to get SMC on the board and cut it to a 2-1 lead for the Zags. The Gaels kept the rally going when Gavin Napier walked and stole second before coming in to score on Kyle Velazquez' single through the right side to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Saint Mary's took the lead when Nick Mistone dropped a single into right center for what would end up the game-winning RBI to plate Velazquez and make it 3-2 Gaels.
 
The Zags would threaten in the top of the fifth after a hit by pitch and a walk before Ryan Taurek replaced starter Conner Roberts and get a ground ball to end the rally. Roberts went 4.2 innings allowing just the two runs with two walks and seven strikeouts on 95 pitches. Taurek would go the rest of the way pitching 4.1 and allowing no runs to collect the win an improve to 3-2 on the season.
 
Saint Mary's would tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when catcher Marc Goulart walked to start the inning and stole second base. Nager poked a single to center field to advance Goulart to third to put runners at the corners with no one out, before Napier drove a sac fly to center to plate Goulart and make it 4-2 SMC.
 
Gonzaga would attempt to put another rally together in the eighth after a pair of singles created runners at first and second with one out. The Zags tried a double steal to get both runners in scoring position while down two runs, but Goulart was up to the task as he gunned down the lead runner at third. Taurek then got a ground ball to Velazquez for the final out to end the scoring opportunity for the Zags.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Napier went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored to extend his on-base streak to six games and record his 14th multi-hit game of the season. Mistone extended his on-base streak to five games by going 1 for 3 with an RBI and a walk and is now 10 for 28 (.357) with a runner at third and two outs this season.
 
UP NEXT
Game three of the series is set for 1:00 p.m. at Louis Guisto Field on Sunday, April 24.