RIVERSIDE, Calif. – After a combined 11 runs in their series opener yesterday the Saint Mary's Gaels (12-9) and UC Riverside Highlander (6-15) engaged in a pair of old school softball pitcher's duals on Saturday, with the Highlanders securing the doubleheader sweep and the series victory 4-1 and 1-0. This caps the Gaels busy five game week with a 1-4 record.  

GAME ONE: UCR 4 - SMC 1
Just like game one of the series, the Highlanders got out to an early lead, jumping ahead 2-0 in the first. A two run blast in the fourth doubled the lead for the Highlanders, and while the Gaels would respond with one in the sixth, that was all the offense they could muster, ultimately falling 4-1. 

The Gaels logged a hit in six of seven innings, led by freshmen Sam Buckley and Camille Lara, each with two. Lara and Buckley have headlined an impressive freshman class, as the duo have logged a combined 33 hits between them. The Gaels lone extra base hit, and lone RBI came from a surprising source, as Head Coach Sonja Garnett allowed standout pitcher Odhi Vasquez to pinch hit with Tori Cervantes on base. Vasquez answered the bell by launching a double to the right centerfield gap, allowing the speedy Cervantes to score easily. The hit was Odhi's first in her sixth career plate appearance. 

Avrey Wolverton earned the start, and filled up the strike zone delivering just 19 of her 79 pitches wide of the zone. Avrey struck out four and walked nobody, but was hit up well by the Highlander lineup, surrendering seven hits, including an RBI double and a two run home run, which would prove to be the difference. The loss was Wolverton's first of the season. 

GAME TWO: UCR 1 - SMC 0
For already the fourth time this season, the Gaels found themselves in a tight 1-0 ballgame, falling to UC Riverside in their second part of today's doubleheader. The Gaels logged more hits than the Highlanders, but a fifth inning two out RBI for Riverside was enough to propel them to the doubleheader sweep and the series victory. 

The Gaels mustered up five hits in this one, three of which belonged to freshman Camille Lara, but stranded nine runners on the base paths, and were unable to scratch a single run on the board. Lara finished the three game series against the Highlanders batting 6-for-11. 

Mia Nishikawa was sharp as ever for the Gaels in the circle, surrendering just one run on four hits and a walk in the complete game effort. The lone run she allowed in the fourth would prove to be enough for the Highlanders to hand Nishikawa her third loss despite the herculean effort. It was Nishikawa's seventh appearance this season in which she surrendered one or fewer runs, as her ERA sits at a team-best 1.86. 

UP NEXT
The Gaels will host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday, March 13. First pitch is set for 3 PM. 

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