Baseball vs Pepperdine
 
MORAGA, Calif. – The Gaels opened up a three-game series against the Pepperdine Waves with a convincing 11-1 win on Friday afternoon at Louis Guisto Field. It's the Gaels third win in a row and fourth in their last five.
 
An early pitcher's duel turned into a Gaels blowout win after a five-run sixth inning by SMC. Sam Bower allowed just one run in his second start of the season, getting up to 51 pitches in the outing before Ryan Taurek fired five scoreless frames to get the win.
 
The Gaels again went without committing an error and are now 8-0 when they play error-free baseball and 9-0 when they hold an opponent to two runs or less.
 
Catcher Marc Goulart's first collegiate home run in the third inning got the scoring started for Saint Mary's before the Waves answered in the very next inning with a solo shot of their own to make it 1-1. After Goulart doubled in the fifth, a Kyle Velazquez single through the middle drove him in to put the Gaels back on top at 2-1.
 
THE BIG INNINGS
Then the flood gates would open in the sixth. Chris Santiago was hit by the first pitch of the frame, followed by a Blake McDonald single to center. Christopher Campos would lay down a perfect bunt to advance the runners, before Nick Mistone came in to pinch hit for Dalton Mashore.
 
Mistone ripped a base hit into the left field corner to score Santiago and McDonald to make it 4-1 Gaels. Mistone stole second and Javy Espinoza singled him home with a base hit up the middle for a 5-1 lead.
 
Goulart had a productive out to get Espinoza to third and Gavin Napier singled to right to plate him and make it 6-1. The inning wrapped up with a Christian Almanza double to left center that scored Velazquez and the Gaels were up 7-1 when the sixth had ended.
 
Espinoza had another RBI in the seventh when he dropped a base hit into right field to plate Seth Nager and make it 8-1. Napier drove a solo home run out to left for his first long ball of the season for a 9-1 lead, and a McDonald single to left scored Almanza and Blake Mann to complete the route.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
McDonald went 3 for 5 with a run scored and two RBI and Goulart was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI as the Gaels had both of their primary catchers in the lineup with McDonald at DH. Velazquez finished 2 for 3 with an RBI and Napier was 2 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
 
Bower walked just one and struck out five and Taurek had five Ks without issuing a walk.
 
UP NEXT
Game two with the Waves is set for 1:00 p.m. at Louis Guisto Field on Saturday, April 9.