Friday, February 20
Cathedral City, CA
5:30 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
6-3
9
vs
5
San Diego State
9-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Saint Marys
2
0
0
1
0
1
1
4
9
9
1
SDSU
0
0
2
1
1
0
1
0
5
9
0
Camille Lara: 2-4 RBI 2 BB
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
SB | Gaels Log Signature Win Over RV Aztecs in Day One Split at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
2/21/2026 12:11:00 AM | Softball
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — Opening up their gauntlet weekend at the 2026 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, the Saint Mary's Gaels won a thriller of an extra innings contest against RV San Diego State, 9-5 in eight innings, before falling 7-0 to 23rd-ranked Washington in game two. These two foes represented the highest ranked opponents that the Gaels have seen thus far in 2026, and they battled valiantly in both contests, earning the split.
Game one saw Braxton Brown star for the Gaels, going 3-5 with a career-high five runs driven in. The junior out of Benicia finished just a single shy of the cycle, charging the Gaels to their then second consecutive nine-run outpouring. A trio of pitchers took to the circle against the Aztecs, but it was Odhi Vasquez, who did not surrender a hit over the final two innings, whose outing loomed the largest, picking up the win in the extra innings thriller over SDSU (9-4).
At the top of the order, Camille Lara logged a pair of hits for Saint Mary's (6-4) in game two, but couldn't get the firepower behind her in the lineup to get going against the stout Huskies pitching staff. Freshman Madeline Haun pitched the final four innings, and struck out a career-high four, while surrendering just three hits against Washington (8-4).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1 – Saint Mary's 9, RV San Diego State 5 (8 innings)
The Gaels needed extra innings to decide game one, defeating the San Diego State Aztecs by a score of 9-5 in eight innings. Saint Mary's jumped on the scoreboard early with a two-run blast by Braxton Brown in the top of the first, but the Aztecs would draw level in the bottom of the third, one of four innings that ended with these two evenly matched sides level.
After solid outings from starter Mia Nishikawa and bullpen arm Ella Thurman, the Gaels turned to Odhi Vasquez looking to extend the seventh inning stalemate into extras. She did just that, stranding the potential winning run at third. Her offense responded with a four-run eighth, three coming when Brown ripped a triple with two outs, and Vasquez did the rest, slamming the door shut in the bottom half to secure her second win in as many outings. Brown finished just a single shy of the cycle while driving in a career-high five runs.
Game 2 – No. 23 Washington 7, Saint Mary's 0
The Gaels offense looked to pick up where it left off in game one, when Camille Lara slapped a single to open up the top of the first, but never advanced beyond first base. The Gaels actually had runners on base in five of seven frames, but like in the first, never had a runner get into scoring position.
Washington struck for four runs in the first two innings. Head Coach Sonja Garnett went to the bullpen and selected her freshman, Madeline Haun to relieve starter Odhi Vasquez, and the Texan answered the bell. Haun hung up back-to-back zeroes in the third and fourth inning before surrendering a three spot in the fifth. Another scoreless frame in the sixth worked by Haun kept the Gaels chances alive until the bitter end.
GAME NOTES
Day two of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will once again feature evening contests for the Gaels, as they get set to take on Hawaii at 5 p.m. and 22nd-ranked South Carolina at 8 p.m..
#GaelsRise
Game one saw Braxton Brown star for the Gaels, going 3-5 with a career-high five runs driven in. The junior out of Benicia finished just a single shy of the cycle, charging the Gaels to their then second consecutive nine-run outpouring. A trio of pitchers took to the circle against the Aztecs, but it was Odhi Vasquez, who did not surrender a hit over the final two innings, whose outing loomed the largest, picking up the win in the extra innings thriller over SDSU (9-4).
At the top of the order, Camille Lara logged a pair of hits for Saint Mary's (6-4) in game two, but couldn't get the firepower behind her in the lineup to get going against the stout Huskies pitching staff. Freshman Madeline Haun pitched the final four innings, and struck out a career-high four, while surrendering just three hits against Washington (8-4).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1 – Saint Mary's 9, RV San Diego State 5 (8 innings)
The Gaels needed extra innings to decide game one, defeating the San Diego State Aztecs by a score of 9-5 in eight innings. Saint Mary's jumped on the scoreboard early with a two-run blast by Braxton Brown in the top of the first, but the Aztecs would draw level in the bottom of the third, one of four innings that ended with these two evenly matched sides level.
After solid outings from starter Mia Nishikawa and bullpen arm Ella Thurman, the Gaels turned to Odhi Vasquez looking to extend the seventh inning stalemate into extras. She did just that, stranding the potential winning run at third. Her offense responded with a four-run eighth, three coming when Brown ripped a triple with two outs, and Vasquez did the rest, slamming the door shut in the bottom half to secure her second win in as many outings. Brown finished just a single shy of the cycle while driving in a career-high five runs.
Game 2 – No. 23 Washington 7, Saint Mary's 0
The Gaels offense looked to pick up where it left off in game one, when Camille Lara slapped a single to open up the top of the first, but never advanced beyond first base. The Gaels actually had runners on base in five of seven frames, but like in the first, never had a runner get into scoring position.
Washington struck for four runs in the first two innings. Head Coach Sonja Garnett went to the bullpen and selected her freshman, Madeline Haun to relieve starter Odhi Vasquez, and the Texan answered the bell. Haun hung up back-to-back zeroes in the third and fourth inning before surrendering a three spot in the fifth. Another scoreless frame in the sixth worked by Haun kept the Gaels chances alive until the bitter end.
GAME NOTES
- Junior Braxton Brown put together one of the best games of her Saint Mary's career against San Diego State, finishing 3-5 at the plate with a double, a triple, a home run and a career-high five RBI.
- Hannah Ferguson and Alex Cutonilli each also logged multi-hit games against the Aztecs, while Camille Lara notched a pair of singles against the Huskies.
- Odhi Vasquez moved into eighth all-time in wins in program history, recording her 33rd against the Aztecs. She also moved into fourth in program history with 339 strikeouts after recording four each against San Diego State and Washington.
- Mia Nishikawa reached triple-digit strikeouts in her career, recording her 100th against San Diego State.
- The Gaels are now 5-2 in Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Games dating back to last season.
Day two of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will once again feature evening contests for the Gaels, as they get set to take on Hawaii at 5 p.m. and 22nd-ranked South Carolina at 8 p.m..
#GaelsRise
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Vasquez, Odhi (2-1)
L: Pu'a, Key-annah (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Brown, Braxton 1 ; Ferguson, Hannah 1
3B: Brown, Braxton 1
HR: Brown, Braxton 1
RBI: Brown, Braxton 5 ; Cutonilli, Alex 1 ; Zabat, Mia 1 ; Ferguson, Hannah 1 ; Lara, Camille 1
SF: Lara, Camille 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brown, Braxton 1 ; Castillo, Victoria 1 ; Cutonilli, Alex 1 ; Silva, Kiah 1 ; De La Rosa, Andrea 1 ; Scolini, Isabella 1 ; Tran, Lauren 1 ; Zabat, Mia 2
SB: Cutonilli, Alex 1 ; Ferguson, Hannah 1 ; Lara, Camille 1
HBP: Prescott, Averie 1
Batting:
2B: Ignacio, Jade 1 ; Holcomb, Julie 1
RBI: Ignacio, Jade 3 ; Cisneros, Kiara 1
SH: Cisneros, Kiara 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rodriguez, Mia 1 ; Dueker, Ally 1 ; Macario, Lala 1 ; Holcomb, Julie 2
SB: Tall, Andrea 1 ; Macario, Lala 1
HBP: Terrones, Gabriella 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
5
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
cf/dp
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P/INF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballRHP
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballP/INF
/ SoftballRHP
/ SoftballSB | Saint Mary's vs. Washington Highlights, 2-20-26
Friday, February 20
SB | Saint Mary's vs. San Diego State Highlights, 2-20-26
Friday, February 20
SB | Hannah Ferguson Highlights vs CSUN, 2-13-26
Monday, February 16
SB | Saint Mary's vs. CSUN Highlights, 2-14-26
Saturday, February 14
