LOS ANGELES — Entering the 2025 season, Saint Mary's Softball (28-23, 11-4 WCC) had never had back-to-back winning seasons. Now, at the end of the regular season, the Gaels not only have registered their second straight winning season, but also have secured their straight WCC Title share, after splitting today's doubleheader against LMU (22-31, 7-8 WCC) to secure the series win over the Lions.
GAME ONE: SMC 6 - LMU 9
The Gaels could not have asked for a better start in this one. With two outs in the top of the first, Victoria Castillo roped a double to left, before Taylor Lane bashed her second home run of the series to deep center to make it 2-0 in the blink of an eye. Mia Nishikawa hung up zeroes in the first four frames, while Mia Zabat lifted her second collegiate homer over the left field fence in the fourth for an insurance run.
LMU would score in the bottom of the fourth, and brought the tying run to the plate, but Nishikawa would retire the side. Alex Cutonilli would line a double to left with two on to give the Gaels their largest lead of the game at 5-1.
The game would get flipped on its head in the bottom of the sixth, as LMU would score eight, including seven with two outs to take a four run lead. Camille Lara would drive in one with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all the Gaels could muster, as the Lions won game one, 9-6.
Taylor Lane and Mia Zabat would not only each leave the yard, but would also log multi-hit ballgames. Joining the multi-hit group was Victoria Castillo, who now has a team season best 10 game hit streak.
GAME TWO: SMC 6 - LMU 5
Again, the Gaels jumped out to an early lead, scoring four of their six runs in the top of the first. Sam Buckley was plunked to open the game, followed by a Camille Lara bunt single. That brought up Victoria Castillo, who made her consecutive game hit streak 11 in a row with an RBI single to left center. Alex Cutonilli hit a hard ground ball to second that was booted, scoring both Lara and Castillo, and with two outs, Mia Zabat slapped a double down the left field line, plating Cutonilli.
LMU would plate their first run, one of the unearned variety, in the second, but starter Odhi Vasquez would work the first five innings without surrendering a hit. Tori Cervantes would blast a home run to lead off the fourth, and Jenavee Amador would go yard with two outs in the fifth to make it 6-1 Gaels.
In the sixth, Head Coach Sonja Garnett brought her remaining three seniors, Claudia Kirchner, Lindsay Cabral and Avrey Wolverton into the game. LMU would score three in the bottom of the sixth, prompting Vasquez back into the game for Wolverton, but a nice snag by Cabral at the hot corner would send things to the seventh, now with the Gaels ahead by just two.
In the bottom of the seventh, things got as tense as they could. Vasquez surrendered a leadoff single, before recording the first out. What looked like a flyout for the second out was dropped in right field, putting the tying run in scoring position, and bringing the winning run to the plate. A single back up the middle looked like it might tie the game, but a perfect throw from Tori Cervantes in center would keep the Gaels ahead by one and would bring LMU to their final out. That out was promptly recorded by Odhi Vasquez on a sharp comebacker that would earn the Gaels their second straight title.
The bottom third of the Gaels order did a majority of their damage, as Mia Zabat, Jenavee Amador and Tori Cervantes went 3-9 with a double, two home runs and three RBI. The combo of Odhi Vasquez and Avrey Wolverton kept the Lions hitless through 5.1 innings. For just the second time this year, the Gaels were not struck out in a game.
UP NEXT
The Gaels will have to patiently wait for Selection Sunday to see if they get an at-large bid into the NCAA Regionals. The Gaels are currently in the mid-60s in the latest RPI rankings.
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