SEATTLE – Derik Eaquinto pitched six scoreless innings against Seattle University, and Christian Almanza went 3 for 4 and with two RBIs and two runs scored in the Gaels series opening win against the Redhawks on Friday afternoon.
 
The Gaels got one run in each of the odd-numbered innings to score all of the their offense in the game, and all of them were driven in by the top of the order. Christian Almanza slugged his third home run of the season with one out in the top of the first out to right center for a 1-0 SMC lead.
 
Dalton Mashore led off the third inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a ground out by Jared Mettam. That brought up leadoff hitter Gavin Napier who doubled to right center to put SMC ahead 2-0.
 
In the fifth inning, Napier and Almanza hit back-to-back doubles with two outs to extend the lead to 3-0. Starting pitcher Derik Eaquinto cruised through five innings before the Redhawks threatened a bit in the sixth. Seattle had runners on the corners with two outs, but Eaquinto induced a pop up to end the inning.
 
The odd-inning offense continued in the seventh for Saint Mary's when Coleman Schmidt doubled in Almanza to make it 4-0 Gaels. They would do it again in the ninth when a Napier sac fly scored Mashore for a 5-0 lead.
 
Ryan Sanders pitched a perfect seventh inning before running into some trouble in the eighth. With two on and two out Sanders hit a batter to load the bases. But Preston Howey came in to get an inning-ending ground out to end the threat.
 
The Redhawks would load the bases again in the ninth against Howey, but he would close the door with a strikeout to end the ballgame and preserve the 5-0 win.

UP NEXT
Games two and three of the series are being move in location and time due to weather concerns. The games will now be played in Everett, Wash at Everett Memorial Stadium, which has a turf field and houses the high-A affiliate of the Mariners. Game one will now start at 3:00 p.m. with game two set to begin 40 minutes after the conclusion of game one. The change in venue will prevent Seattle from being able to live stream the games.

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