MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's softball kicked off the final series of the 2023 season with a heck of a game against the BYU Cougars. Taking on one of the top teams in the conference, the Gaels were up to the test, matching BYU zero for zero on the scoreboard. The two teams traded scoreless innings until the top of the 12^th when BYU broke through and scored the game's only run, walking away with 1-0 win at Cottrell Field. Saint Mary's falls to 18-29 (7-6) while BYU improves to 32-14 (11-2).
 
THE FRONT SEVEN
Neither team had a big chance to score early in the game, with both starting pitchers on-point from the word "Go!" BYU had their best chance to score in the very first inning after a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt, but they could not advance the runner past second. Saint Mary's also got a runner at second base in the first inning after Hannah Ferguson walked to open up the inning and stole second base. From that point on, however, it wouldn't be until the 11^th inning that a team got a runner to third base.
 
MISSED CHANCES
Saint Mary's had three big opportunities in extra innings to break through and potentially win the game. In the eighth, Lindsay Cabral opened up the inning with a walk, the second time she reached basae in the game. Jojo Bryant ran for her at first base with the hopes of getting into scoring position, but the Gaels failed to execute a sacrifice bunt, and never advanced Bryant. In the ninth, Taylor Keinath singled to lead off and Bry Waters ran for her. In a similar situation, the Gaels popped up the sacrifice bunt attempt and never moved Waters. Fast forward to the 11^th inning, which began with a walk from Marissa Montelongo and a base hit from Ferguson. The Gaels once again tried to bunt, but it was popped up and turned into a double play, with Ferguson being double off first base. A strikeout ended the inning and sent it to the 12^th.
 
KEEPING ZEROES ON THE BOARD
Odhi Vasquez was about as good as it gets in the circle for Saint Mary's. She tossed the first 11 innings of the game in scoreless fashion, the longest scoreless outing in a single game by a Gaels pitcher under head coach Sonja Garnett. She got helped out by her defense several times, including the tenth inning, when BYU got a leadoff double and had two on with just one out. A sharply hit grounder found the glove of Cabral right on the bag at third, and she fired to first for a double play. In the 11^th, BYU seemed to have the game's first run all but assured. A leadoff error, wild pitch, and sacrifice bunt put the go-ahead run at third. The Cougars tried a squeeze bunt, which went right to Cabral, who then tagged out the runner trying to score, and then threw to second base to get the original bunter trying to advance.
 
HOW IT ENDED
BYU didn't wait around in the 12^th inning to get on the board, using a Hailey Morrow home run to left center on a 2-2 count to open the frame and score the game's only run. It soiled the line for Vasquez, who drops to 7-6 on the year, despite allowing just one run and seven hits across 12 dazzling innings. Saint Mary's tried to make noise in the bottom of the inning with a Marissa Nishihara two-out single, but the game ended on a strikeout. Kaysen Korth finished off the 12-inning shutout for BYU, showing why she is the reigning WCC Pitcher of the Week.
 
UP NEXT
The final day of the 2023 regular season takes place on Saturday, May 13 as the Gaels and Cougars link up for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm. It is a loaded day at Cottrell Field, which includes Senior Day for Saint Mary's. The Gaels will say goodbye to four seniors who are playing in their final games for SMC: Alex Casas, Marissa Woolsey, Bry Waters, and Taylor Keinath. Senior Day festivities will take place prior to first pitch, which will feature all four seniors throwing out a first pitch to their mothers.