GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Saint Mary's Baseball started their series at the University of Florida with a 12-11 extra-inning loss. The Gaels took an 11-9 lead into the bottom of the 10th before the Gators hit a walk-off, three-run homer just fair into the left field corner.
 
The Gaels got the scoring started when the first four hitters reached base in the top half of the first inning. Gavin Napier doubled into left center as the lead off and Christian Almanza followed him with a walk. Ryan Pierce drove in Napier with a single through the right side and Coleman Schmidt brought Almanza home with a sacrifice fly into center field.
 
Florida fought back immediately when their first five hitters reached base in the bottom half of the inning resulting in three runs and a 3-2 Gator lead. One of those hits being a double to right field that the outfielders could not see above the lights.
 
Brian DuRoff helped the Gaels start again with a single into left field. Bear Harrison immediately doubled Duroff home with a ball into right center. Then Harrison would score with two outs when the Florida infield made a throwing error allowing Pierce to reach base and the Gaels to retake a 4-3 lead.
 
Florida once again responded, this time with a triple and RBI ground out to even things at 4-4. The Gator offense took the lead in the third when the Gaels could not execute a double play and a two-RBI triple made it a 6-4 Florida lead.
 
Almanza singled home Jared Mettam to cut into the lead and make it a 6-5 game. Florida would score one in the bottom half of the fourth. Derik Eaquinto finished with four innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Florida then extended their lead with a couple one-run innings in the sixth and seventh innings. Ryan Wiltse pitched those relief innings finishing with 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
 
The Gaels trailed 9-5 entering the eighth inning when they started the comeback. Napier hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth to make it a 9-6 game. Then the Gaels offense scored three in the ninth courtesy of an Aiden Taurek two-RBI triple and Chris Esquivel sacrifice fly in the ninth. Preston Howey was holding the Florida offense in check, throwing 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on two hits with two walks and a career-high seven strikeouts.
 
In the tenth inning Almanza hit a two-run go-ahead home run on a deep fly to left center giving the Gaels an 11-9 lead. Florida would then hit a walk-off three-run home run from shortstop Colby Shelton in the bottom of the tenth to win the opening game of the series.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels take on the Gators in game two of the series at 10:00 am on Saturday as the start time was moved up due to expected rain.