MORAGA, Calif. — Gaels pitching (23-13, 8-3 WCC) once again shined in the middle game of a three game set against the San Francisco Dons (17-22, 1-10 WCC), defeating their rivals from the west 4-0. This was the Gaels third shutout of the season, and secured their fourth straight WCC series win, as they will look for their first conference series sweep tomorrow. 

Connor Linchey matched Derik Eaquinto's excellent start from just a day ago, as the senior right hander tossed 7.2 innings of shutout baseball, surrendering five hits while fanning a season high seven. Linchey was perfect through four, but seemed to get even stronger working with runners on. Ryan Sanders came on out of the pen to record the final four outs of the ball game, surrendering two base runners, but stranding both on the basepaths. 

The offense started early for the Gaels, plating their first run in the bottom of the first. After Linchey struck out the side in order in the top half, the Gaels loaded the bases in the bottom half, with a pair of hit batsmen and a Christian Almanza shift beating infield single. With two away, a pitch got away from the Dons and all the way to the backstop, allowing Dalton Mashore to score with ease from third, as Saint Mary's fired the opening salvo. 

That lead was doubled in the third, when Mashore led off the inning with a triple to dead center, and came around to score on a Brian Duroff single. Through three innings, the Gaels lead was 2-0 with Mashore accounting for both of the runs scored. 

San Francisco starting pitcher Lance Santerre settled from that point, to the tune of nine straight retired, but Duroff punished the second pitch of the bottom of the sixth for his ninth home run of the season over the left field fence. Duroff trails only Christian Almanza in the home run category this season. 

For good measure, the Gaels tacked on one final insurance run in the seventh, when Dalton Mashore hammered the first pitch he saw from Dons reliever Gabriel Barrett over the right center field fence, good for his ninth home run, tying himself with Duroff for second on the team this season. 

Offensively, the trio of Mashore, Almanza and Duroff combined for six of the Gaels eight hits and all four of their runs scored and three RBI. Mashore scored three times, and logged the two most difficult parts of the cycle, with a triple and a home run. 

The Gaels will close out their series with the Dons in search for a sweep starting at 1 PM.

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

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