SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Saint Mary's (7-8) picked up where they left after last weekend's success at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. After
Odhi Vasquez tossed another complete game shutout to down UCSB (10-8) in game one of today's doubleheader, 5-0, the Gaels three times had the Gauchos down to their final strike in game two, but were ultimately walked off by a narrow 8-7 scoreline.
Game One: SMC 5 - UCSB 0
Odhi Vasquez continued to roll, and now holds the program record with 23 consecutive scoreless innings tossed after today's complete game shutout of the Gauchos. The defending back-to-back WCC Pitcher of the Week fanned seven UCSB batters, while walking just one, and never let a runner get past second base. Her season ERA now sits at 1.40, as she continues to climb in the record books with a career ERA of 2.68, good for sixth best in program history, and nine complete game shutouts, good for seventh.Â
The Gaels scored four of their five runs in the second inning. Jenavee Amador led things off with a single, and was advanced to second on a sac bunt from freshman and defending WCC Player of the Week Mia Zabat. A fly out to left off the bat of Victoria Castillo put the Gaels at two outs, but then the rally started. Eight hole hitter Tori Cervantes pulled a single to left, scoring Amador. Out of the nine spot, Kiah Silva single back up the middle to role the lineup over to Sam Buckley with two on. Buckley lined a 1-2 pitch to left field, plating Cervantes, before Camille Lara smacked a ball to right, scoring both Silva and Buckley. In the blink of an eye, the Gaels held a 4-0 lead.Â
While four runs were more than enough run support for Vasquez, the Gaels tacked on one more in the sixth. Sam Buckley lifted a one out double to deep right center, then advanced to third on a Camille Lara groundout. With two away, Alex Cutonilli smacked a ball right at the Gaucho shortstop, who miss-played the hard hop of the infield dirt, allowing Buckley to score.Â
Vasquez continued to cruise, as the Gaels closed out the game with a 5-0 victory. Sam Buckley returned after being sidelined for the latter parts of the Mary Nutter Classic, and went 2-4 at the plate with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Buckley now leads the squad with four doubles and five total extra base hits (she has 10 hits total on the season). Tori Cervantes notched her first multi-hit ballgame of the season, going 2-3 with a run and an RBI, as well as the rare bunt double, in which she took advantage of nobody covering second base after legging out a would-be bunt single. Camille Lara drove in two runs, bringing her season RBI total to six.Â
Game Two: SMC 7 - UCSB 8
Game two opened with a bang, as Sam Buckley led off the game with a solo shot in the top of the first. A two out Taylor Lane double followed by a Jenavee Amador single made it 2-0 as the Gaels were off and running early in game two against the Gauchos.Â
UCSB drew level in the bottom of the first, as two unearned runs scored against Ella Thurman on two defensive miscues by the Gaels. That tie ballgame was short lived, however, as in the second, with two away, Tori Cervantes on third and Sam Buckley at second, Camille Lara poked a single back up the middle, scoring both of them. The Gaels were back in front 4-2.Â
From the second through the fifth, freshman hurler Ella Thurman hung up four consecutive zeroes, spreading out four hits in that time, but not letting any come across. The Gaels got her three more insurance runs in the top of the sixth, Averie Prescott rolled the first pitch of the inning back up the middle and was pinch run for by Aryanna Gonzalez before Tori Cervantes was plunked for a second time in the ballgame. Victoria Castillo bunted both runners into scoring position before Sam Buckley drove in a pair more, lacing a single into center field. Camille Lara bunted Buckley up to scoring position before pinch hitter Sasha Canedo drove in her first run of the year, singling through the 3-4 hole to plate Buckley and bring the score to 7-2.Â
Thing began to unravel in the bottom of the sixth. Thurman allowed three of the first four runners to reach, with two of them scoring. That would bring Mia Nishikawa out of the pen. The sophomore Nishikawa allowed the first two batters she faced to reach, loading the bases before surrendering a sac fly and then striking out the final batter of the sixth to retire the side.Â
Nishikawa returned to the circle in the seventh, and should've had a 1-2-3 inning, but the first ball put into play of the inning was dropped in left field, followed by two quick outs, as the Gaels looked like the leadoff error wouldn't come back to haunt them. Back to back two out hits surrendered by Nishikawa would plate two unearned runs, tie the game, and prompt another change on the rubber, as Avrey Wolverton entered with the winning run on second and two outs. The Gauchos would notch an infield single before walking things off with another single to left center, scoring six unanswered runs to earn the split.Â
It was the top of the order doing the most damage again for the Gaels, with Sam Buckley going 3-4 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI, and Camille Lara going 1-2 with two runs driven in. Tori Cervantes was plunked twice, and scored both times. Only three of the eight runs allowed by the Gaels were earned in a game in which Saint Mary's really seemed to outplay UCSB.Â
UP NEXT
The Gaels will remain in Santa Barbara and take on UNLV tomorrow with a 9 AM first pitch.
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