MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball came back late against San Jose State to make it a two-run game in the ninth inning, but the Spartans hung on for 10-8 win in the Gaels first mid-week game of the season.
 
SMC fell behind early against the defending Mountain West Champs when third baseman Dalton Bowling hit a two-out, three-run home run off Adam Enyart in the first inning for a 3-0 lead. After a lead-off bloop single and a walk, Enyart got the next two batters to get within out one of escaping the jam before Bowling turned on an inside pitch to knock it over the left-field fence.
 
The Gaels would answer right away, however, as Gavin Napier hit his first home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the first. Napier would double in the third and advance to third on a ground out by Christian Almanza, before a Ryan Pierce sac fly brought Napier in to make it a 3-2 game.
 
Connor Linchey steadied the ship for SMC with two scoreless innings and four strikeouts, but SJSU broke through with three runs in the fifth and the sixth, along with one more run in the eighth to extend out their lead to 10-2.
 
Saint Mary's would answer with three runs in the eighth and ninth to make it interesting again. Aiden Taurek singled home Tanner Griffith, Hunter Hirayama drew a bases-loaded walk, and Napier hit a sac fly to score Taurek and it was a 10-5 game.
 
In the ninth, Coleman Schmidt hit his first home run of the season on a blast out to right center with Griffith on base to cut it to 10-7. Saint Mary's would send Connor "Bear" Harrison up to pinch hit after giving the freshman catcher the day off, and he would rip a base hit through the left side to cut it to 10-8.
 
But the Spartans would go to closer Cade Van Allen who got Napier to fly out to right to end the game and preserve the win.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will head to the Southeast to take on No. 4 Florida for three games from March 8-10.
 
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