MORAGA, Calif. — It has been a long time since Saint Mary's softball has played home games at Cottrell Field. With multiple weekends on the road and poor weather in California adjusting the schedule, Saint Mary's finally returned home for two games against Dartmouth and Maine, part of a two-day weekend at home. Both games were low-scoring, and both games went to the visitors, as Saint Mary's fell 2-1 to Dartmouth and 5-1 to Maine. The Gaels now find themselves at 6-15 on the season heading into Saturday.
 
Game 1: Dartmouth 2, Saint Mary's 1
 
THE FIRST RBI ON THE DAY
Alex Casas had herself a great day at the plate, and it started by tying up the first game for SMC in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out in the inning, Taylor Lane singled down the left field line, and was followed by a walk from Taylor Keinath to put two runners aboard. Up came Casas, who ripped a double to right field to tie the game and make it 1-1. The Gaels had a chance for more in the inning, but Keinath was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play, and a strikeout followed to end the inning. Still, after the offense had been dormant for most of the game, there was suddenly life on the Gaels side.
 
THE QUICK TURN
Kailey O'Connor deserved better than a loss on Friday, but Dartmouth had an answer to the Gaels run. In the top of the seven, a one-out single set the stage as Allie Odhe brought home the eventual winning-run on a double to left field, making it 2-1 Dartmouth with two down in the inning. That took the wind out of the Gaels sails, as they went down quietly to end the game in the bottom of the inning. Still, for O'Connor, it was a great outing: a complete game, with just five hits allowed, one walk, and three strikeouts.
 
Game 2: Maine 5, Saint Mary's 1
 
SHE DOES IT AGAIN
The only run that Saint Mary's scored in the second game on the day came once again from Alex Casas, but this time the rally was smaller, and the hit was bigger. It was Taylor Lane again reaching base safely to get things going, but with two outs in the inning, she was still on first base. Enter Casas, who sent a ball to right field that went all the way to wall and resulted in a clutch two-out triple, scoring a run and making it 3-1 at the time. Casas has been the primary reason the Gaels offense goes this season, driving home a season-best 13 runs in the first 19 games she's played. No one else on the Gaels has driven in more than six runs.
 
TOO MUCH, TOO OFTEN
Avrey Wolverton got the start in the circle for Saint Mary's, and while she avoided the huge inning, she allowed too many small rallies for the Gaels offense to overcome. The first thing that went right for her was allowing just three hits and not allowing a walk. The problem was the Gaels defense, which committed three errors and led to four of the five runs allowed by Wolverton to be unearned. In the first, a stolen base and a throwing error led to a run. In the third, another throwing error on a sacrifice bunt plated a run, and in the fifth, an error from Wolverton scored a third run on an error in the game. Gaels pitching, with Wolverton and Odhi Vasquez in the circle, struck out nine and allowed just three hits.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will welcome the same two teams back to Cottrell Field tomorrow afternoon for more softball. The Gaels will play Maine at 12:30 pm before hosting Dartmouth to close out the weekend at 3:00 pm. A return to the road will be up next for SMC, with five-straight games on the road next weekend to close out March.