MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's softball is hitting its stride as conference play rolls around, and their offense has seen a boost from the middle of the order. Thanks to the hot hitting of Taylor Keinath, the Gaels won their first WCC series of the year, and the offensive performance from Keinath landed her Bay Alarm Student-Athlete of the Week honors.
 
Keinath continues to come on strong as the Gaels cleanup hitter, turning in a great week to help lead the Gaels to a 3-2 record, including a WCC series win over San Diego. She went 6-15 (.400 average), including her first home run as a Gael in the WCC opening-win against USD on Friday, a two-run shot. She drove in four runs on the week and had a slugging percentage of .667, while also scoring twice and walking twice.
 
Keinath is now the third Gael to win the award this season, with Avrey Wolverton picking up the award in March and Odhi Vasquez doing so in February. Keinath is the first position player for Gaels Softball to win the award since Marissa Nishihara on May 3, 2022.
 
Saint Mary's will remain at Cottrell Field next weekend as WCC play continues. The Gaels welcome in Bay Area rival Santa Clara for a three-game series, beginning with a doubleheader on April 15 at 12:00 pm. The series wraps up on Sunday, April 16 at 12:00 pm. The weekend features Alumni Appreciation Day on Saturday and Strike Out Cancer Day on Sunday.