MORAGA, Calif. — After an extra innings thriller in game one of their series, Saint Mary's (20-22, 3-3 WCC) and Santa Clara (27-16, 7-2 WCC) split a twin bill today in two very different ball games. Game one saw the Gaels strike for one run in the first and ride that to a 1-0 victory, while game two was a much higher scoring affair, with the Broncos besting Saint Mary's 11-5. The Broncos now move into first place by a 1.5 game margin in the WCC, while the Gaels fall to third place, 2.5 games behind Santa Clara. Saint Mary's will have nine more conference games to make up ground, while the Broncos have just six remaining.
GAME ONE: SMC 1 - SCU 0
After the Gaels were shutout over nine full innings yesterday, Sam Buckley made sure that that wouldn't happen in game two, launching a moon shot blast over the left field fence to end Saint Mary's scoring drought against the Broncos. The home run was her 12th of the season, tying her with Sarah Lira for the most ever in a single season in program history.
That single run was all the run support that Mia Nishikawa would get, and all the run support that she would need, as she would toss her second complete game shutout effort of the spring, needing just 92 pitches to hang up seven goose eggs on the scoreboard. Nishikawa surrendered just three hits, including a double, but would twice strand the tying run at third, preserving the shutout. It was the sixth shutout worked by Gaels pitching this year, and the second by Nishikawa on the year. For her career, this was complete game shutout number six, tying her for tenth most in program history.
Beyond Buckley's blast, the Gaels tallied five other hits, all singles. Camille Lara, Victoria Castillo, Taylor Lane and Dominique Oliveira all joined the hit parade, with Lane's knock representing the 100th of her SMC career.
GAME TWO: SMC 5 - SCU 11
After the shutout in game one of today's doubleheader, the Broncos opened the game with one run in the first, and a five spot in the second, chasing starter Avrey Wolverton after just an inning and a third in favor of Odhi Vasquez. Vasquez entered with the Gaels in a 2-0 hole and two runners on. She allowed the two inherited runners to score, and two more of her own before getting out of the second, but then spun three straight zeroes, not allowing a hit in that span. A dropped foul ball would do the Gaels in in the sixth, however, allowing four unearned runs to cross, and putting Saint Mary's backs against the wall down 10-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
The Gaels returned the favor by taking advantage of some spotty fielding from the Broncos to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth, extending the game into the seventh. Kiah Silva and Taylor Lane reached on back-to-back infield errors to open the inning, and with one out, Braxton Brown was hit by a pitch and pinch run for by Julia Medina to load the bases for Mia Zabat. Zabat barreled up a single to left field to plate two, and with two outs, Tori Cervantes was hit by a pitch to bring up Sam Buckley with the bases loaded. Buckley slammed single off of the pitch to score Medina, and Camille Lara reached on a third Bronco error of the innings to plate Zabat and Cervantes. The five spot would be all the Gaels could muster up however, as the side was eventually retired, Santa Clara struck for one more in the seventh, and while the Gaels would put two on in the bottom half, they would not be able to push either across, ending the game at 11-5.
Victoria Castillo logged her second multi-hit effort of the Spring with a single and double for the day, seeing her average climb 26 points on the day. Mia Zabat drove in two of the Gaels five runs, logging her first hit and first RBI in nearly two weeks. With seven strikeouts, Odhi Vasquez eclipsed the century mark for strikeouts for the second time in her career. She fanned 102 in her freshman campaign, and needs just two more over the next nine games to best that mark.
The Gaels will hit the road to Corvallis next weekend for a three game set with the Beavers. Oregon State and Saint Mary's are both currently tied in third place in the WCC with 3-3 conference records.
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