MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball hung on to win a wild one 11-8 against Utah Valley in game one of double header on Saturday to take the first two games of a four-game series, while game two was suspended due to darkness and the Gaels trailing 9-3 after eight innings.
 
The Wolverines scored first in the first of game one on an RBI single for a 1-0 lead, but the Gaels would answer with four runs over the next two innings. Dalton Mashore plated Ryan Pierce on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to tie the game at 1-1. His speed at first drew an errant pickoff attempt that allowed Brian Duroff to score and the Gaels were up 2-1.
 
In the third inning Nathan Chong hammered a ball out to deep left with Coleman Schmidt aboard for his second home run of the season to make it 4-1 Saint Mary's. Utah Valley did a good job of slowing down the Gaels offense from there, and answered with a big rally of their own in the seventh.
 
Starter Dylan Delvecchio pitched well in 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on one hit with three walks and nine strikeouts in his first start -- and second appearance -- at SMC. But the bullpen ran into some trouble in the seventh inning, allowing five runs on five hits and one error. The Gaels also threw three wild pitches that inning, with two of the five hits being a home run and a double. SMC found themselves down 6-4 once the dust had settled and John Damozonio had ended the threat.
 
But the Saint Mary's offense was undaunted, and calmly answered back in the bottom of the inning. Gavin Napier reached on a one-out error by his counterpart at second, before Christian Almanza walked. Schmidt singled home Napier, but was caught stealing after taking off for second with runners at first and third and one out.
 
With two out, Chong drew a walk to extend the inning, before Pierce unloaded on a moon shot to left for his first homer as a Gael, taking back the lead at 8-6. The rally wasn't over there though, as Connor "Bear" Harrison doubled home Tanner Griffith to make it 9-6, and Dalton Mashore mashed his first home run of the season to make it 11-6 Saint Mary's after seven.
 
The Wolverines would get another run on a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, before Ryan Wiltse closed the door. UVU would get one more run on a bases-loaded single, but Preston Howey would get the final two outs to get his first save of the year in the 11-8 win.
 
UP NEXT
Game two of the Double Header was suspended after eight innings, with the Gaels trailing 9-3. The last inning will be played at 11 am before the scheduled 1:00 p.m. game to wrap up the series.