MORAGA, Calif. - Both teams combined for eight runs over the final three innings to add to another dramatic affair at Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium. Once again though, Saint Mary's fell in heartbreaking fashion coming up just one run short in the eleventh after a solo shot from
Eddie Madrigal cut it to one.
Portland took advantage of four crucial errors throughout the game and cashed in with a two-run homer in the eleventh that proved to be the difference for their seventh conference win of the season. Madrigal was terrific once again, leading the Gaels with four hits, two runs scored and two RBI.
Jared Mettam was 1-for-2 from the dish and tied his career high with four RBI while
Brian Duroff had the other multi-hit game finishing 2-for-5.
The Gaels have fought tooth and nail in both games of the series with absolutely no quit, falling in extra-innings for the second consecutive game. They are now 1-2 in extra-inning games this season and fall to 1-4 in WCC play.
HOW IT HAPPENED…
5TH INNING
Junior transfer
Donovan Chriss made his eighth start of the season and similarly to Delvecchio from Friday's game, Chriss battled through 5.1 innings and left with the game tied at three going into the sixth. Portland took a 3-1 lead in the fourth but the Gaels offense backed up Chriss with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the fifth to knot the game at three.
After two quick outs to start the inning,
Eddie Madrigal would get hit by a pitch and then
Aiden Taurek singled back up the middle to set the table for
Jared Mettam. Mettam took the first pitch he saw and punched it down the right field line for a two-RBI double, tying the game at three. The Gaels have not been particularly successful with two outs in the serious but got a big two-out hit from Mettam for his third double of the season.
Mettam would add another RBI to his total in the seventh with a sac fly to left, scoring pinch runner Micah Nicholosn to give Saint Mary's a 4-3 lead. They would take that lead into the ninth with a chance to even the series at one game a piece.
Talin Gardini and
Lukas Sarantos would help get the Gaels to the ninth with the lead, allowing just one hit and zero runs.
9TH INNING
Sarantos came back out to start the ninth looking for his first career win but got some tough luck as Portland put up three unearned runs off a pair of crucial errors from the Gaels defense. The inning started with an errant throw across the diamond from third base on a ground ball. The next batter for Portland would square and lay down a bunt but the throw from Madrigal would get past
Cody Kashimoto who was covering first and put runners on second and third with nobody out. Sarantos would hit the next batter to load the bases and end his outing, allowing junior lefty
Garret Plata to come into the game attempting to limit the damage.
On the next at-bat, Portland's Cole Katayama-Stall would dump a single into right field to score two runners and give the Pilots a 5-4 lead. Plata would get a much needed fly out from the next batter but it would be deep enough to score the runner from third to extend their lead to 6-4. A fly out and a ground out would end the threat and give Saint Mary's some work to do, down two heading into the bottom half of the ninth.
Portland's pitcher, Nolan Umlandt, would face some struggles of his own to start the inning as he walked
Diego Castellanos and
Ryan Pierce to put two on with no outs for Madrigal. After a pitching change, Madrigal would clutch-up and rifle the 2-2 pitch down the right field line to score Castellanos from second and make it a one-run game.
Two batters later, Mettam would step up and record his fourth RBI of the day with a sac fly to deep left field scoring
Micah Nicholson who came in to pinch run earlier in the inning. Mettam tied his career high with four RBI on the day and raised his season total to 16, helping tie the game and send it into extras for the second consecutive day.
11TH INNING
Sophomore right hander
Noah Waldeck would get the call to start the tenth for his 12th appearance of the season. Waldeck was pumped up and had the heater working, touching as high as 94 miles per hour. Waldeck worked around a one-out single and went on to strikeout all three outs in the inning to keep the game scoreless.
Waldeck would come back out for the eleventh and after a leadoff single to start the inning, Portland's Zach Toglia would win a six-pitch battle and connect on a two-run homer to left field to give the Pilots an 8-6 lead. Waldeck would induce a 6-4-3 double play three batters later to get out of the inning and keep the Gaels within striking distance.
Eddie Madrigal would continue his stellar day in the eleventh with his team leading ninth home run of the season to make it a one-run ball game with two outs to work with. Taurek singled the next at-bat and got to second on a wild pitch, but the Pilots pitcher would strikeout Mettam and get
Tanner Griffith to ground out to strand the runner and hang on for the thrilling 8-7 victory.
Madrigal finished with a career high four hits to lead all Gael hitters while Mettam tied his career high with four RBI on the day.
Aiden Taurek and
Brian Duroff also had multi-hit games, combining for four hits, a run scored and an RBI. The Gaels pitching has been quite solid in all phases through the first two games of the series but offensively, they are hitting just .160 with two outs and are 6-for-24 (.250) with runners in scoring position.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saint Mary's dropped their third straight game and fell top 13-16 overall and 1-4 in WCC play. They will wrap up the series with Portland tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM. Catch all the action live on ESPN+ and get your tickets online at smcgaels.com/tickets.
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