CORVALLIS, Ore. — Things could not have gone much better for the Gaels (23-22, 6-3 WCC) this weekend, as they made their longest conference road trip of the year to Corvallis, and walked away with a three game sweep of the Beavers of Oregon State (19-22, 2-7 WCC), winning the finale today, 7-3. Not only did the Gaels move back into contention for the WCC title, trailing frontrunner Santa Clara by just one game, but also, a bit of history was made, as
Sam Buckley crushed her 13th home run of the year, setting a new single season home run record.
Unlike the first two games of this series, the Gaels took command from the get go, scoring three runs in the first and two in the second to build a 5-0 lead through one and a half innings. Three batters into the game, and the Gaels already had a lead, as Sam Buckley led off the game with a walk, Camille Lara legged out a bunt single, and Tori Cervantes bashed a double off the left field wall, scoring Buckley. Lara would then beat a throw on a ground ball off the bat of Taylor Lane, making it 2-0, and Cervantes would score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Victoria Castillo, bringing the Gaels lead to three. In the second, it was Cervantes again who delivered. After sending a ball off the left centerfield fence in the first, she sent one over the same fence an inning later, scoring herself and Camille Lara to make it 5-0.
After 2.2 scoreless innings of work, Mia Nishikawa surrendered a two out blast to the Beavers for their first run of the game, and did the same with two outs in the third, bringing OSU back within three runs. The Gaels would get one of those runs back as Sam Buckley launched her historic 13th blast of the year to the opposite field. It was Buckley's 17th career home run, moving her into the top-five for career home run tally for the Gaels. Nishikawa would surrender one more run in the fifth, but would get through five with the Gaels holding a three run lead, as they would go to the pen to Odhi Vasquez for the final two frames.
Saint Mary's would tack on one more insurance run in the sixth, as Tori Cervantes reached on a two out error, stole second, and was singled home by Taylor Lane. Vasquez worked the final two frames without allowing a hit, walking two and fanning two to reach and surpass 300 strikeouts for her career, slamming the door shut on the sweep effort for the Gaels.
It was the Tori and Sam show for the Gaels all day today. Cervantes logged a pair of extra base hits, a double and a home run, scoring three times and driving in three more. Buckley notched a pair of hits, a single and a solo blast that stood as the program single season record breaker. Taylor Lane drove in two runs for the Gaels as well, her second two RBI effort of this series.
The Gaels will return home to Cottrell Field one final time this year, playing host to San Diego next week. The series will feature a doubleheader on Saturday, May 3 and a single game on Sunday, May 4.
#GaelsRise
