MORAGA, Calif. - Saint Mary's trailed in all three games of the series but found different ways to come back and win to sweep the Aztecs and improve to 8-4 on the season. Freshman lefty
Talin Gardini made his first career start Sunday afternoon and fought his way through 3+ innings. Fellow freshman
Sam Kretsch would come on in relief for his third appearance of the season and help spark the Gaels comeback as he pitched three scoreless innings allowing just one hit.
The Gaels offense had been kept relatively quiet for most of the game but broke through with five runs in the final two innings including an RBI double from
Ryan Pierce and a booming two-run homer from
Eddie Madrigal to take a 5-3 lead. Sophomore right fielder
Diego Castellanos would get in on the home run parade with his second of the season, another no doubter to right field taking advantage of heavy winds all afternoon. Despite just three hits through the first five innings, the Saint Mary's hitters continued to put together quality at-bats and once again took it to the Aztecs bullpen with five runs off five hits in the final two innings.
Kretsch was dominant through the middle innings and earned his second career win to improve to 2-1. Sophomore transfer
Noah Waldeck would get credit with his first save as a Gael, completing two scoreless innings and allowing just one hit over the final two innings. Their four-game win streak is the longest of the season after taking three of four on opening weekend against Saint Louis.
San Diego State starter Marko Sipila was incredibly effective in his six-inning outing, striking out five batters and allowing just three hits through his first five innings. The pitch count did start to elevate though into the sixth but head coach Shaun Cole would let him ride into the sixth, holding a 3-1 lead.
Eddie Madrigal and
Aiden Taurek would reach with a pair of infield singles to start the inning. After a fielders choice and a fly out to keep runners on first and second, Taurek would move up 90 feet on a wild pitch but not Mettam who stayed put at first. Sipila would check on Mettam multiple times during the next at-bat but one throw over to first would squirt out of the first baseman's glove to allow Taurek to scamper home and make it 3-2.
Once again, defensive miscues and wild pitches plagued the Aztecs as they went on to allow six free passes on the day. Sipila would get out of the jam with a strikeout two batters later but departed the game after the sixth still in line for the win with a 3-2 lead.
7TH INNING
The next Aztevs reliever would only see four batters in his outing. After getting leadoff man
Cody Kashimoto to fly out to center field to start the inning,
Tanner Griffith would reach base on a four-pitch walk to set the stage for
Ryan Pierce. Pierce sat on a 1-0 breaking ball and rifled it down the left field line to score Griffith all the way from first, tying the game at three.
Three pitches later, Madrigal would launch the 2-1 pitch deep into the right field trees for his team leading fourth home run of the season to catapult the Gaels in front, 5-3. After some rain overnight, there were strong winds blowing out to the right side of the park all afternoon. Madrigal had previously sent a pair of foul ball shots over the right field fence earlier in the game but this one stayed fair and went 400+ feet to give Saint Mary's their first lead of the game.
8TH INNING
In the eighth, the Gaels added some insurance by way of the long ball with another two-run shot to right field from Castellanos. Castellanos dug out the 1-1 breaking ball and golfed it over the right field corner for his second of the season. The sophomore right fielder has been a catalyst in the nine spot for Saint Mary's, acting as a second leadoff hitter with a team leading 16 hits as well as 12 RBI.
Noah Waldeck would retire the Aztec hitters in order on just eight pitches to earn his first save in a Gaels uniform. He got some great defensive support as well as Griffith started the inning off with a terrific diving catch on a sinking line drive in shallow center field.
Head coach
Eric Valenzuela would complete the program's first ever series sweep over San Diego State dating back to the 1971 season. The finished the game with seven runs off eleven hits and once again, clean defense to limit big innings and keep them within striking distance.
For the series, the Gaels hitters punished the San Diego State bullpen as they had a combined 4.00 ERA allowing twelve earned runs. Six errors on the weekend were also very costly for the Aztecs, allowing Saint Mary's to run the bases effectively and extend innings.
Madrigal was 3-for-4 on the day with a pair of ribbies while Pierce and Castellanos combined for four hits and four RBI. The Gaels offense continues to catch eyes and cause opposing teams issues, leading the WCC in team batting average (.310), runs scored (103), on-base percentage (.419) and ranking second in home runs (13). Madrigal and Pierce also sit tied for the conference lead with four homers each to contribute to the team's power numbers in the middle of the lineup.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saint Mary's improved to 8-4 on the season after their three-game sweep over San Diego State. They will play their final home game of the current five-game homestand on Tuesday, March 4th against San Jose State. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM and you can catch all the action live on ESPN+.
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