LOS ANGELES — The final game of the three-game series between Saint Mary's softball and Loyola Marymount lived up the billing. When the weekend began, the series featured the two leading teams in the West Coast Conference, with both teams holding 5-1 records in WCC play. After LMU swept the Gaels on Saturday, Saint Mary's needed a bounce-back performance, and they almost got it. A late rally that gave them the lead was thwarted, as LMU beat the Gaels late by a final of 4-3 to cap off a series sweep. Saint Mary's is now 14-21 (5-4) on the season.
 
THE THREE THEY NEEDED
It took nearly all weekend, but Saint Mary's was able to finally break through in the top of the fifth inning for their first lead of the weekend. Taylor Keinath opened the inning with a single, and a sacrifice bunt and a walk put two runners on base with one out. Marissa Montelongo then came through with the biggest hit of the weekend, ripping a double down the left field line to score a run and make it a 2-1 LMU lead. Lindsay Cabral then followed with a fielder's choice that failed to result in an out, tying the game up at 2-2. After a bevy of changes, Alex Casas came up in a pinch-hit role and laid down a squeeze bunt that put the Gaels in front, scoring Montelongo and making it a 3-2 SMC lead.
 
THE ANSWER
Avrey Wolverton held the lead for the Gaels until the bottom of the sixth, when she allowed a leadoff home run to tie the game at 3-3. That brought Kailey O'Connor into the game to try and keep the score tied, but the Lions wound up getting to her. After two outs on just four pitches, O'Connor allowed a two-out single, followed by a stolen base, and then another single to give LMU the lead once again at 4-3.
 
FINAL NUMBERS
Despite not factoring into the decision, it was a better start for Wolverton than the one she had on Saturday…the redshirt freshman went five-plus innings while allowing three runs and striking out two…Keinath recorded two more hits against her former team, raising her season batting average to .310…Montelongo and Hannah Ferguson had the other hits for Saint Mary's…the Gaels struck out nine times against LMU starter Jenna Perez.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will remain busy over the start of the upcoming week, as they play four games over the next three days. They will open that stretch with a doubleheader on Monday night against California Baptist, with first pitch slated for 4:00 pm. They will remain in Southern California on Tuesday for a single game against UC Riverside at 12:00 pm before returning home to the Bay Area and facing Cal at Cottrell Field on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 pm.