MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball came up a run short against the University of San Diego on Friday, dropping game one 4-3 to the Toreros.
 
The loss combined with a BYU extra-inning win cut the Gaels lead over the Cougars to two games in the WCC Tournament standings. SMC will still have two more shots this weekend to climb in the standings against USD.
 
Saint Mary's had a chance to tie the game in the seventh, but a play at the plate on the second runner the Gaels sent home on an infield single was thrown out at the plate.
 
SAN DIEGO SMALL BALL
San Diego scored in the bottom of the second on a double and two ground outs for a 1-0 lead. They got one more in the fifth on a bunt single, a stolen base, and a double to go up 2-0 with a good mix of small ball and extra-base hits.
 
Ryan Sanders pitched well again for the Gaels though, and got into the sixth before exiting with two on and one out. Ryan Taurek entered the game and got a ground ball to short with the infield in, and Jared Mettam threw a perfect strike home to eliminate the runner at the plate. Taurek walked the next batter on a full count to load the bases and another walk scored a run to extend the Toreros lead to 3-0 through the top of the sixth.
 
SMC BEGINS THE COMEBACK
Saint Mary's would get on the board though on their second hit of the game when Gavin Napier hit his fifth home run of the season just over the fence in left field to make it a 3-1 game with two outs in the sixth. That was followed by a Bill Ralston single up the middle and a Christian Almanza walk, but the Toreros went to the pen and were able to get Nathan Chong to strike out to end the inning.
 
San Diego would answer right back though with a lead-off triple and a one-out dribbler between Taurek and catcher Blake McDonald that left both with little chance to make a play which led to a 4-1 USD lead.
 
The SMC offense started to rally at that point though, as Coleman Schmidt led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to right field to make it a 4-2 game. McDonald and Eddie Madrigal both singled and a ground out advanced them both into scoring position.
 
Gavin Napier would single deep into the hole at second to score McDonald. The Gaels would also send Madrigal home, but the second baseman made a sliding grab to keep the ball from getting into the outfield and fired home to nab Madrigal and keep it a 4-3 San Diego lead.
 
The Gaels would strand a runner in the eighth and ninth innings as the Toreros hung on to take game one by one run.
 
Taurek kept SMC from having to use up their bullpen, going the final 3.2 innings and allowing just one run of his own.
 
UP NEXT
Game two is set for 1:00 p.m. in Moraga. Saint Mary's will officially christen Brother Ronald Gallagher Stadium before the game.