Sunday, April 14
Moraga, CA
11:00 am
Saint Mary's College of California
22-15, 0
10
vs
3
Pacific
12-28, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Pacific
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
3
4
1
Saint Mary's
5
0
0
0
3
2
X
10
13
2
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nishikawa, Mia (10-5)
L: Smith, Desiree (2-8)
Batting:
RBI: Hayes, Jordan 1
SH: Hayes, Jordan 1 ; Lloyd, Scarlett 1 ; Hamilton, Reagan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dirmeyer, Rian 1
SB: Dirmeyer, Rian 1 ; Lee, Asia 1
CS: Schuck, Rory 1
Batting:
RBI: Lane, Taylor 1
SH: Castillo, Victoria 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ferguson, Hannah 1 ; Cervantes, Tori 1 ; Castillo, Victoria 1
SB: Montelongo, Marissa 1 ; Cervantes, Tori 1 ; Buckley, Sam 1 ; Carpenter, Gracie 1
HBP: Cervantes, Tori 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballUTL
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballUT
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballRHP
/ Softball
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
SB | Gaels Sweep Sunday Double Header to Secure First WCC Series Win of the Season
4/14/2024 7:07:00 PM | Softball
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's Softball (23-15, 3-1 WCC) needed a sweep of Pacific (12-29, 1-3 WCC) in their Sunday doubleheader in order to secure a series victory over the Tigers. They got just that, pitching and slugging their way to wins 22 and 23 of the season, 10-3 and 3-1. Through one week of WCC play, the Gaels sit tied with San Diego in first place at 3-1.
GAME ONE: SMC 10, PAC 3
After being limited to just two runs in their last meeting, the Gaels came out of the gates hot in game three of the series against the Tigers. After Odhi Vasquez struck out the side in the top of the first, Saint Mary's hung up a five spot in the bottom half, chasing the Tigers starting pitcher before she could record an out. Hannah Ferguson got things going with a lead off single, then moved to second on a wild pitch. She then stole third base, and came around to score on an errant throw from the Pacific catcher. Marissa Montelongo would then walk, followed by an RBI double from Tori Cervantes to left center, an RBI triple from Sam Buckley to right center, and an RBI double from Taylor Lane to deep left. For good measure, with one away, Taylor Lane advanced to third on a wild pitch, and then was singled home by Alex Cutonilli, bringing the first inning tally to five for Saint Mary's.
The Gaels offense would be stymied in innings two, three and four. After three innings of work, Vasquez was lifted for Chelsea Bennett, who struggled with her command. Bennett loaded the bases, but looked like she was going to get out of it before being tagged for two unearned runs after an error committed by Cervantes at short. Bennett came on to work in the fifth, but walked the first batter she faced before Vasquez was called on to return to the game. Vasquez would let the inherited runner score, before retiring the side, as the Tigers found themselves within two runs.
The brief scare lit a fire under the Gaels offense, however, as they struck for three more in the fifth, courtesy of RBI from Lane, Cutonilli and Victoria Castillo, and two more in the sixth on runs driven in by Montelongo and Buckley.
Odhi Vasquez finished things out in the seventh to pick up her eighth victory of the season, with no earned runs allowed in six innings worked. Her ERA now sits at 2.00, still good for second in the conference.
Taylor Lane led the Gaels offense with three hits and two RBI. It was her first three hit ball game of the season, and the second of her career. As a team, this was the fourth time this season that the Gaels have scored double-digit runs, going 4-0 in each of those instances.
GAME TWO: SMC 3, PAC 1
Just like on Friday, the second game of the doubleheader between the Gaels and Tigers was much more competitive. Mia Nishikawa earned the start and recorded the first two outs with ease, but a two out rally from the Tigers spotted them an early 1-0 lead. That was the only run that Nishikawa would surrender in the complete game effort.
Pacific looked primed for more runs in the top of the third, with two on and nobody out when a sinking line drive was flared to left center. Hannah Ferguson came speeding in and dove to make the catch, and through to second to double off the Pacific base runner before the runner on third could tag up and score. This sparked the Gaels with the momentum they needed.
In the bottom of the third, Tori Cervantes and Sam Buckley both reached, putting runners at the corners with one out. Taylor Lane once again provided a clutch hit for the Gaels that would tie things up at one apiece.
The Gaels would be gifted their first lead in the bottom of the fourth when, with Victoria Castillo on first, Hannah Ferguson reached first on an error by the Tigers third baseman and proceeded to motor all the way around the base paths for a "little league home run". While Ferguson was not credited with a hit or RBI, her hustle on the play made all the difference in this one.
The two run lead was more than enough for Nishikawa who continued her brilliance after the first inning hiccup. She finished the complete game effort to earn her 10th victory on the season.
Taylor Lane, now having logged a hit in five straight, owned the lone RBI for the Gaels, as the redshirt sophomore has seen her average climb from 0.241 to 0.275 over the past three weeks.
The Gaels will take on San Jose State at home next Wednesday and enjoy their weekend off before getting back to WCC play in two weeks.
#GaelsRise
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