SAN JOSE, Calif. — One day after the offense for Saint Mary's softball struggled to get things rolling, runs were not hard to come by on Saturday afternoon in San Jose. In day two of the Silicon Valley Classic, Saint Mary's scored a total of 14 runs after plating just two the day before, but wound up falling by finals of 8-7 to Sacramento State and 15-7 to San Jose State. SMC is now 4-9 on the young season.
 
Game 1: Sacramento State 8, Saint Mary's 7
 
TWO WRECKING BALLS
Hannah Ferguson and Alex Casas were thorns in the side of the Hornets in game one, driving in a total of six runs from the top two spots in the order. In the third inning, the Gaels got on the board when Ferguson hit a sacrifice fly to center field and Casas singled home a run to tie the game at 2-2. One inning later, it was Ferguson singling to left field to plate another run, while Casas followed with a sacrifice fly in part of a three-run inning for the Gaels, making it 5-2. In the sixth, with two runners on, Ferguson reached on a fielding error that scored one and put two runners in scoring position, which helped Casas send one to short that resulted in an infield single and another RBI. Her third RBI of the game, matching the number for Ferguson, made it 7-4 Saint Mary's. They went a combined 3-6 with RBIs in the top two spots of the order, creating some much-needed fire atop the Gaels lineup.;
 
TYING IT WITHOUT A HIT
Avrey Wolverton was great through her first two innings of relief, but the bottom of the sixth is when things got hairy. The first two hitters of the inning walked, and then Wolverton hit a batter, loading the bases with nobody out. Two quick pop outs ensued, and it looked like the Gaels were going to get out of the inning unscathed. Then an error at shortstop by the Gaels pushed across a run and kept the bases loaded. Another walk scored the second run, and after Chelsea Bennett came into the circle in relief, she walked the first batter she faced to tie the game.
 
HORNETS WALK IT OFF
Sacramento State was able to escape in the bottom of the seventh inning with a victory in a similar fashion to how they tied the game up one inning earlier. With one out, Bennett walked and hit consecutive batters to put two runners aboard. Odhi Vasquez then relieved Bennett to try and get out of the jam, and she induced a pop out for the second out of the inning. It was Jada Walker who played hero for the Hornets, sending a ball right up the middle to win the game 8-7, completing off a dramatic comeback.
 
Game 2: San Jose State 15, Saint Mary's 7 (5 innings)
 
ONE BIG INNING
Saint Mary's got a run in the first to break through against San Jose State, but they offense really got rolling in the third. Alex Casas opened up with a single, and two batters later, Taylor Keinath doubled her home. A walk loaded the bases and brought up Bry Waters, who drew another walk (her second bases-loaded walk of the game) to make it 4-3 SJSU. A pitching change and a pinch hitter brought on Angelina Franco in a massive spot. She delivered, sending one out to left field that cleared the bases, scoring three runs and putting the Gaels in front 6-4. That double drove in the first three runs for Franco during the 2023 season.
 
LOTS OF BIG INNINGS
The Spartans were able to counter with big innings of their own, scoring in all five innings of the game and putting up crooked numbers in four of them. They took the lead in the fourth on a two-run single with two outs in the inning against Kailey O'Connor, and then ended the game one inning later with seven runs in the fifth. The game ended on a grand slam off the bat of Ahmiya Noriega, put the ultimately exclamation point on the game for San Jose State
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will have one more try to get a win at the Silicon Valley Classic, as they take on Northern Colorado for the second time on the weekend. Sunday's game will take place at Santa Clara University, with first pitch scheduled for 9:00 am. After Sunday, the Gaels will dodge rain and attempt to play Michigan at Cottrell Field on Tuesday afternoon.