MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball (19-12) dropped game two of the midweek series against the Cal Bears (17-14) 14-11 on Wednesday at home. It was a back-and-forth high scoring showdown that resulted in the two-game series being split.

The Bears started the scoring in the first inning when they scored two on a double to take an early 2-0 lead. The Gaels offense answered in the bottom half of the first when Dalton Mashore drove the ball into the left center gap to score the leadoff man Tanner Griffith and cut the lead to one, 2-1. The Bears added one in the second inning with yet another RBI double. Brian Duroff would score in the bottom half of the second when Cal turned a double play up the middle, once again making it a one run game. Cal tacked on an insurance run once again in the third after a walk and some errors hurt the Gaels defensively and the Bears pushed their lead to 4-2.

The Saint Mary's offense would go on to rally in response. The bottom of the third saw the Gaels score five runs and take a 7-4 lead. This rally consisted of a couple walks issued to Griffith and Christian Almanza, an RBI single from Ryan Pierce, and a three-run no-doubter into left field by the starting catcher Nathan Chong. The first zeroes would come across the board for both sides of the fourth as David Thomas entered in relief and pitched 2.2 innings allowing two runs on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. Cal would chip away at the deficit in the fifth when they hit a home run of their own to plate two and make it a 7-6 ballgame. Cal then scored again in the sixth after yet another Gaels error on a pickoff attempt and a two-RBI single giving them an 8-7 lead.

The Gaels once again took back the lead with a rally in the seventh inning. Griffith reached on a lead-off single and Mashore drove him in with a double for the second time of the day to start it. Then Hayden Driggs singled to set up Connor "Bear" Harrison for an RBI opportunity that he cashed in on with a single scoring Mashore. Chong would bring in fellow catchers Driggs and Harrison with a two-RBI single extending the lead to 11-8 in favor of the Gaels. Cal once again fought back and rallied in the top half of the eighth, scoring six runs and taking a 14-11 lead. The Bears would hold onto the lead despite Saint Mary's getting the game-tying run up to the plate, earning the series split they went looking for. 

Nathan Chong was the biggest offensive provider for the Gaels today, driving in five runs on three hits, including a three run home run. Owen Cuffe worked a scoreless ninth inning, the lone Gael pitcher to not surrender a run. Dalton Mashore laced two doubles to left, plating a run with each, while Bear Harrison also logged a pair of RBI.

The Gaels will hit the road for Los Angeles for their next conference series, taking on LMU for three, starting Friday at 6 PM.

Saint Mary's full schedule can be viewed here and season tickets can be purchased by clicking here. 

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