SAN DIEGO — In their penultimate series of the season, the Gaels (27-20, 7-4 WCC) have made themselves at home in hostile territory, taking games two and three of a doubleheader today against the Toreros (16-35, 4-7 WCC) 17-3 and 4-2. Both games had very different styles, but both resulted in pivotal wins for the Gaels, who will guarantee to be at worst tied for the top spot in the conference heading into the final weekend with a win tomorrow.
GAME ONE: SMC 17 - USD 3 (5 INN)
The Gaels piled it on today in game one, starting with five run first before Mia Nishikawa even needed to take the field. Three of those runs came in on a bases-clearing double from Taylor Lane, while two more scored on an opposite field single from Lindsay Cabral.
An unearned run would break up Nishikawa's 11 straight scoreless inning streak in the first, but the Gaels would plate nine unanswered runs to put this game out of reach early. Key hits today included Alex Cutonilli's first career home run and Sasha Canedo's first career extra base hit, a two RBI double.
Nishikawa tossed the first four frames for the Gaels, surrendering three runs, two of which were earned on nine hits, while striking out two and walking none. Chelsea Bennett closed things out with a scoreless fifth frame. The win was Nishikawa's 12th of the season, the most by any Gaels since Katie Moss in 2016.
Alex Cutonilli drove in five for the contest, bringing her season total to 22, while Taylor Lane drove in three to move to 27 on the year. The 17 runs represented a new program single game-high for the Gaels, who's previous high sat at 14 runs in a victory against UC Riverside back in 2007.
GAME TWO: SMC 4 - USD 2
After their momentous performance in game one of today's twin bill, the Gaels once again took control early in game two. Hannah Ferguson led off the game with an infield single, advanced to second on a passed ball, and moved up to third on a fly out by Jenavee Amador. With two outs, Sam Buckley hit a slow roller to third, and legged out the infield single, scoring Ferguson to push the Gaels ahead early.
Although she broke the scoreless draw in the first, Buckley's biggest hit came in her second plate appearance, when she absolutely crushed a ball to dead center with Amador on first for her fourth career home run, pushing the Gaels lead to three. Amador singled Ferguson home in the fifth for another insurance run, as the Gaels found themselves ahead 4-0 through eventually the first six and a half frames.
Avrey Wolverton earned the start in game three of the series and was lights out for the first six innings, hanging up six consecutive zeros. She surrendered just four hits through the first six frames, while striking out four and walking none. The Toreros refused to go quietly in the seventh, plating their first two runs of the game on four hits, and brought the tying run to the plate, but Wolverton toughed things out, closing out the Toreros to secure the series victory with one to go tomorrow.
Sam Buckley served as the Gaels offensive hero, accounting for three of the Gaels four runs driven in, including their lone extra-base hit, a two run blast. Hannah Ferguson also logged a two hit ballgame, bringing her batting average to a team-best 0.384.
The Gaels will finish out their series tomorrow against the Toreros with a 12 PM first pitch matchup.
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