SB | Gaels Drop Extra Innings Heartbreaker on Day One of Eugene Regional

Friday, May 15

Eugene, Ore.

4:30 PM

Saint Mary's College of California

40-15

Mississippi State

39-18

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Saint Mary's (CA)	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	3
Mississippi State	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	3	4	0

Sam Buckley HR Swing vs Mississippi State

Sam Buckley: 1-for-3 2 R HR

Photo by: Gary Breedlove

SB | Gaels Drop Extra Innings Heartbreaker on Day One of Eugene Regional

5/15/2026 8:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

EUGENE, Ore. — The Saint Mary's softball team forced extra innings in its postseason opener against the 20th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, but fell by a slim 3-2 margin in the eighth at Jane Sanders Stadium on Friday evening. Despite the close loss, the Gaels once again proved that they can compete with just about any team in the country, and are primed and ready to make some noise on day two of the Eugene Regional.

Odhi Vasquez went all 7.2 innings of this extra-innings contest, surrendering just one of her three runs as earned, while striking out six and walking just one. Sam Buckley put the Gaels in front in the top of the first with a two-run blast, but that was all the offense the Gaels could muster against the eighth ranked pitching staff in the country by ERA from Mississippi State.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gaels wasted no time demonstrating that they belong in the NCAA Postseason, as Sam Buckley mashed an 0-2 pitch over the right centerfield wall for her 12th home of the season. Camille Lara stood on second at the time of the Buckley blast, making it 2-0 before the Bulldogs could even come up to bat.

Odhi Vasquez retired the first 11 batters that she faced before surrendering the first Bulldog hit of the game, a solo shot in the fourth, but bounced back to strike out the side that inning. In the fifth, the Bulldogs pushed across an unearned run, tying up the game, but with the go-ahead Mississippi State run would be stranded at third, courtesy of another Vasquez strikeout, and a maximum effort catch in deep center by Tori Cervantes.

Vasquez tiptoed out of danger in the bottom of the seventh, stranding the winning run on second and forcing extra innings. In the eighth, however, two hits and an error netted the Bulldogs their second unearned run of the game, the game winner with two outs in the eighth.

GAME NOTES

With Sam Buckley's first inning two run home run, the Gaels took their first ever lead in an NCAA Regional game in their third regional appearance.
The homer was Buckley's 12th this season, tying her for second most in a single season in program history (she set the single season record of 14 last year) and her 30th career blast, adding to her program record tally.
The home run also moved Buckley's current hit streak to 12 straight games, tying her with Hannah Ferguson for the longest of any Gael this season.
Odhi Vasquez tossed a season-long 7.2 innings. Her career long out came all the way back in her freshman year, when she went 12 innings full against BYU.
Vasquez has now given up one or fewer earned runs in 23 of her 36 appearances this season.
The senior ace also surpassed her previous single season high innings total, now having tossed 141.1 innings.
Surpassing 140 innings, Vasquez now qualifies for single season RBI rankings, as her 2.28 ranks the seventh best in program single season history.
In total, Vasquez has now pitched 500 innings in her collegiate career, becoming the Gaels' first 500+ inning pitcher since Katie Moss '17.

The Gaels are guaranteed at least one more game at the Eugene Regional, as they will play the loser of the Oregon - Idaho State matchup at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow. If the Gaels win at 4:30 p.m., they will play a second game at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening.

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