CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The Saint Mary's Gaels (6-6) continue to look dominant in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, tonight besting RV Northwestern (6-7) 2-0 and Hawaii (10-4) 9-7.After a slow start, the Gaels have really seemed to have found their footing, and will go for a perfect 5-0 Mary Nutter Classic tomorrow against San Diego State. 

GAME ONE: SMC 2 - NW 0
The Gaels went back to their ace Odhi Vasquez in game one of Saturday, and she answered the bell again with another complete game shutout. Vasquez did not allow a hit until the sixth inning, ultimately surrendering just two hits in the shutout performance. She added six more strikeouts to her impressive season total, and held the Wildcats off the scoreboard until the Gaels offense rallied for a two spot in the sixth. That run support was all that she would need for her third victory of the season. 

Alex Cutonilli led the sixth inning off with an infield single, and then advanced to second on a Taylor Lane groundout. Jenavee Amador then broke the ice for the Gaels with a single into the 5-6 hole, scoring Cutonilli, but the Gaels weren't done yet. Dominique Oliveira pinch ran for Amador, who advanced to second on the unsuccessful throw to the plate to try and get Cutonilli. Oliveira swiped third for her first collegiate stolen base, and Victoria Castillo worked a ten pitch walk to put runners at the corners for Lindsay Cabral with one out. Cabral dropped down a perfectly placed bunt, scoring Oliveira and doubling the Gaels lead. Vasquez pitched around two hits and a walk in the final two frames, but hung up two more zeroes as the Gaels notched a victory over a Wildcat squad receiving national votes in the latest USA Softball poll. 

Jenavee Amador was the lone the Gael to log multiple hits in this one, including the hit that would go down as the game winner in the sixth inning. The shutout for Vasquez was her eighth career complete game shutout, putting her all alone in eighth in program history in that category. 

GAME TWO: SMC 9 - Hawaii 7
In the polar opposite of game one, game two today saw the Gaels rely heavily on their offense to battle out of a deficit for a come from behind victory. The game got started with a Kiah Silva opposite field double, followed by an Alex Cutonilli walk. With one away, Taylor Lane doubled both of them home, before Mia Zabat singled to center scoring Lane with two away. 

That three run lead quickly evaporated in the bottom of the first, when Hawaii was issued back to back walks before a three run blast leveled the game at three apiece, chasing starter Avrey Wolverton from the game in favor of Chelsea Bennett. Bennett got out of the first keeping the game level, but surrendered an unearned run in the second, giving the Rainbow Wahine their first lead of the game. That lead was short lived for Hawaii, however, as in the top of the third, Taylor Lane logged her first collegiate triple, and was scored by a Jenavee Amador single, leveling things at four apiece. 

After a scoreless bottom of the third worked by Bennett, the Gaels would regain the lead in the top of the fourth, when Kiah Silva tripled out to right, and scored on a Camille Lara groundout. That scoreline stayed put until the bottom of the fifth, when Hawaii bashed a solo shot, bringing the score to five all and chasing Bennett from the game. Mia Nishikawa was the next arm out of the pen, and retired the side in the fifth. 

The Gaels took their most commanding lead in the sixth. Lindsay Cabral led things off with a hit, and was pinch run for by Julia Medina. With one away, Camille Lara doubled Medina home, before Hawaai walked Alex Cutonilli and Taylor Lane to load the bases and bring up Jenavee Amador. Amador mashed a ball out to left field, clearing the bases and pushing the Gaels ahead 9-5. Hawaii would scratch across two runs in the final frame, but Nishikawa was eventually able to retire the side and pick up her second win of the year. 

Jenavee Amador and Camille Lara combined for six of the Gaels 13 hits, while driving in six of the Gaels nine runs. Taylor Lane drove in two more, while also scoring twice after reaching base with both a double and a triple. 

UP NEXT
The Gaels will close out the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic taking on 23rd ranked San Diego State tomorrow at 11 AM.

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