LAS VEGAS, Nev. - 86 innings, 183 runs and nine games later and your Saint Mary's Gaels are the 2025 WCC Tournament Champions! The Gaels overcame a heartbreaking 14-inning walk-off defeat in game one of Saturday's championship slate and turned right back around to pull off another thriller in Las Vegas Ballpark, holding off a late San Diego surge to win 9-8. Saint Mary's won their second conference tournament title in program history and their first since 2016. They will await their regional selection Monday morning with the NCAA selection show slated for 9:00 AM pacific time.
Game two was tied at five through seven innings, setting up for another tense finish with the tournament title on the line. The Gaels offense finally rallied for a big inning with four runs in the eighth including a bases clearing triple from
Ryan Pierce.
Brian Duroff doubled the next at bat to plate Pierce and give Saint Mary's a 9-5 lead. It was only fitting that the Toreros made things interesting in the top of the ninth, scoring three runs off three SMC errors.
John Damozonio was in his fourth inning of relief but was left in to finish the game, inducing an RBI ground out for the second out of the game and then striking out the final batter to strand two base runners and secure the WCC Tournament championship.
Brian Duroff and
Tanner Griffith each had three hits in the final game while
Ryan Pierce led the team with three RBI from his first career triple in the eighth inning.
Daniel Guevara Castro,
Dylan Delvecchio,
Ryan Pierce,
Jared Mettam and
Eddie Madrigal were all named to the WCC All-Tournament team with Madrigal taking home the Most Outstanding Player award.
GAME ONE SMC 13-16 USD
1ST INNING
With pitching at a premium for both teams late in the tournament, Saint Mary's jumped out to a four-run lead in the first with an RBI single from
Ryan Pierce and a two-out RBI double from
Jared Mettam.
The Gaels led 6-3 through three innings behind the start of freshman
Lukas Sarantos. Sarantos completed three innings, allowing three runs off four hits.
7TH INNING
Saint Mary's added to their lead in the seventh thanks to a three-run triple from
Eddie Madrigal, pushing their lead to 10-3 with just two innings to play. The wheels would fall off though as San Diego posted a nine-spot to take a 12-10 lead. Valenzuela made four changes in the inning to limit the damage but San Diego finished with six hits to take a dramatic two-run lead.
9TH INNING
With their backs against the wall, Saint Mary's rallied in the ninth with a pair of runs to tie the game and force extras.
Diego Castellanos singled to start the inning and then
Tanner Griffith worked a two-out walk to turn the lineup over for
Eddie Madrigal. Madrigal jumped on the 1-0 pitch and hit a sinking line drive to right field. The San Diego right fielder attempted to make a diving catch but the ball would get by him all the way to the wall, scoring both Castellanos and Griffith and tying the game at twelve.
14TH INNING
Both teams would score a pair of runs in the 12th to make it 13-13 but the Toreros would connect on a three-run homer in the 14th inning to walk-off and force a winner take all game. Madrigal finished with three hits and five RBI while Castellanos and Mettam combined for six hits, three runs scored and three RBI.
The defeat would go down as one of the worst of the season as the Gaels failed to hold on to a seven-run lead. On top of that, they would have to regroup and play again within an hour span with hardware and an NCAA Regional bid on the line.
GAME TWO SMC 9-8 USD
3RD INNING
Freshman southpaw
Jaden McNeely would get the start for Saint Mary's as one of just three arms to have not been used in the tournament. McNeely only had five appearances prior to this start but was able to give the Gaels three innings of work, surrendering four runs off three hits.
After a scoreless first frame, both teams would put up two runs in the second and third inning. In the third, the Gaels would do their damage with two outs and get an RBI single from Castellanos and then a hit batter with the bases loaded to tie the game at four.
8TH INNING
The game would find itself tied at five after seven innings of play. The two teams would flop for game two as Saint Mary's was listed as the home team and the Toreros as the visitors. In the eighth, a single and a hit batter would put runners on first and second with nobody out. Despite going 0-for-4 from the plate, the San Diego coaching staff would elect to intentionally walk
Aiden Taurek and load the bases with one out.
Ryan Pierce would come to the plate and after fouling off a pair of 1-2 pitches, Pierce would line a triple to the left center gap to clear the bases and give Saint Mary's an 8-5 lead.
Brian Duroff would double to the left field corner to plate Pierce and complete the four-inning for the Gaels.
9TH INNING
John Damozonio would come back out for his fourth inning of work and pitch to contact, but three errors would put runners on and score one to make it a three-run game. The next at bat, a high chopping single would get over the head of Madrigal and score another run, quickly making it a two-run ballgame with nobody out.
The next batter would lay down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third for the first out of the inning. Damozonio continued to fire strikes and induced an RBI groundout to second the next at bat. The Toreros trailed by just a run with two outs and a runner on third. After a five pitch walk to put runners on the corners, Damozonio would take a deep breath and go on to strikeout the final batter on five pitches to send the team into a frenzy and secure their second WCC Tournament title in program history.
It wasn't pretty but Saint Mary's continued to show fight and grit all day long, overcoming a 14-inning game one defeat to come back and win game two 9-8 over top-seed and defending champions San Diego.
Brian Duroff tied his career high with three hits in the game while
Tanner Griffith recorded three hits out of the nine-spot to help turn the lineup over all night long.
Elliott Joslin pitched two clean innings after McNeely before turning things over to Damozonio for the final four. Damozonio earned his fourth win of the season and a memorable one as the Gaels reached the top of the mountain for the first time since 2016.
Eddie Madrigal broke a pair of single-season records in the process with 64 runs scored and 77 RBI. He sits three home runs shy of the single-season record set by
Christian Almanza just last year with 24 long balls.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saint Mary's won their 35th game of the season with their second WCC Tournament Championship in program history and first since 2016. They will await their NCAA regional bid with the selection show slated for Monday, May 27th at 9:00 AM. The full NCAA Regional schedule and location can be found at smcgaels.com.
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