RENO, Nev. - The Gaels stayed hot as they went north to Reno and took down the Wolf Pack 13-8 in a back and forth affair. They have now won eight of their last nine games and each of their last four midweek matchups. Senior lefty
Dylan Delvecchio got the start for his tenth of the season and was really good to say the least, completing three innings allowing just one run off one hit before turning things over to the bullpen.
Saint Mary's took a four-run lead through the first three innings but saw that lead disappear as Nevada scored five unanswered to take a one-run lead. Both teams would combine for seven runs in a wild sixth inning as the game found itself tied at eight, but freshman
Micah Nicholson would come off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit RBI double to score
Diego Castellanos and give the Gaels a 9-8 lead. A three-run dinger from Castellanos would put the game on ice the next inning in the ninth, allowing Saint Mary's to win 13-8 and improve to 23-20 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED…
3RD INNING
Saint Mary's got on the board first which has been a common trend over their recent hot streak. They went back-to-back in the third inning with solo-homers off the bats of
Aiden Taurek and
Ryan Pierce. Both Taurek and Pierce went yard over the batter's eye in center field to give the Gaels an early four-run lead. Taurek belted his fifth of the season while Pierce climbed his total to eight.
6TH INNING
The Gaels would send another long ball over the fence at Don Weir Field to put them ahead 8-5.
Jared Mettam recorded an RBI groundout after
Brian Duroff doubled to leadoff the inning and then
Eddie Madrigal would crush his league leading 15th homer of the season to cap off the four-run inning. Freshman catcher
Brett Williams doubled after Duroff scored and then
Tanner Griffith took a pitch off the back to turn the lineup over and bring Madrigal to the plate. Madrigal jumped on the first pitch he saw to give Saint Mary's a three-run lead.
8TH INNING
Nevada was able to tie the game up again in the bottom half of the sixth, making it eight all heading into the final two innings. Castellanos worked a leadoff walk allowing Gaels shortstop
Jared Mettam to bunt him over to second and put him in scoring position. Head coach
Eric Valenzuela would elect to go to his bench and call upon freshman infielder
Micah Nicholson.
Nicholson has been a solid bat off the bench for the Gaels this season and has also seen some time at second base. The move would pay off as Nicholson rifled a ground ball through the left side to score Castellanos and give Saint Mary's the 9-8 lead.
Sophomore right hander
Noah Waldeck would come out for the bottom half of the eighth and record a pair of strikeouts to maintain their one-run lead going into the ninth. The Gaels didn't need insurance but got it anyway with a four-run inning in the ninth including a three-run homer from Castellanos, his fifth of the season.
Although this has not been his primary role during his SMC career, senior lefty
Derik Eaquinto would get the call for the ninth in his 13th appearance of the season. Eaquinto recorded a pair of saves in the team's series sweep over Pepperdine two weeks prior and has become a real threat out of the bullpen over the last month of the season. Although this was not a save opportunity, Eaquinto retired the Nevada hitters in order on just ten pitches to seal the 13-8 victory for the Gaels.
The bullpen was stellar again as seven pitchers made appearances with
Elliott Joslin,
Justin Santiago,
Jaden McNeely,
Noah Waldeck and
Derik Eaquinto. Freshman southpaw
Jaden McNeely would pitch a scoreless seventh inning, working around a leadoff walk, to be the pitcher of record when Saint Mary's took the lead in the eighth and therefore earn his first collegiate win as a pitcher.
Madrigal led the team with four RBI to bring his season total to 54. Madrigal now sits inside the top-ten all-time in single season home runs and RBI as he continues to put on a dominant junior campaign.
Aiden Taurek pushes his hit-streak to seven games as he was a triple shy of the cycle Tuesday afternoon.
Ryan Pierce was also 3-for-5 with a pair of ribbies. The top four hitters in the Gaels lineup were dominant all game long, combining for right hits, seven RBI and six runs scored. The Gaels have now hit four home runs in back-to-back games, matching their season high.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saint Mary's improved to 23-20 overall and are now an impressive 12-10 on the road this season. They will resume WCC action this weekend with a three-game series in Stockton against Pacific. Game one of the series will take place Friday, May 2nd at 6:00 PM. Stream the game live on ESPN+ and get your tickets online at smcgaels.com.
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