SB | Oh What a Night! Gaels Log First Two NCAA Postseason Victories to Move on to Eugene Regional Final

Saturday, May 16

Eugene, Ore.

4:30 PM

Saint Mary's College of California

41-15

Idaho State

37-20

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Idaho State	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	0
Saint Mary's	0	1	0	0	0	2	X	3	9	0

Photo by: Gary Breedlove

SB | Oh What a Night! Gaels Log First Two NCAA Postseason Victories to Move on to Eugene Regional Final

5/17/2026 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

EUGENE, Ore. — Saturday, May 16, 2026 marked the most historic day in Saint Mary's Softball History, as the Gaels notched not one, but two NCAA Tournament Wins for the first time in program history to move onto the Eugene Regional Final. The Gaels defeated Idaho State 3-1 in an elimination contest, before upsetting the 14th ranked Oregon Ducks 5-4 to bounce them from their own regional in the epic evening of Softball. The wins also marked the Gaels' 41st and 42nd of the year, tying and breaking the athletic department record for most wins by any program in a single season.

While both wins were truly the embodiment of team victories, Hannah Ferguson had a tremendous offensive day, logging five hits over the two contests after going hitless yesterday. Andrea De La Rosa provided the game winning hit in game one, a go-ahead two RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, while Tori Cervantes drove in the eventual game winning run in game two with an RBI triple in the bottom of the fifth. Odhi Vasquez picked up the win in relief in both contests in poetic fashion, as the Gaels all-time wins leader now owns the two biggest Ws in program history.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)
As brilliant as Odhi Vasquez was to start game one of the regional, true freshman Madeline Haun nearly matched her pitch for pitch to start game two. The true freshman out of Spring Branch, Texas walked the leadoff hitter, then proceeded to retire the next 16 batters she faced. The Gaels took a 1-0 lead in the second on an infield RBI single from Hannah Ferguson and through five full innings, that's where the scoreline stayed.

Haun eventually surrendered her first hit with one out in the top of the sixth, a solo shot to center field that leveled the score at one apiece. With two away and the go-ahead run standing at second, Haun gave way to Odhi Vasquez out of the pen, who quickly induced a pop up to second to strand that runner in scoring position.

The Gaels wasted no time pulling back ahead, as Sam Buckley drew a one-out four pitch walk, and Kiah Silva smacked the first pitch she saw right back up the middle. After Alex Cutonilli would advance both runners into scoring position on a groundout back to the pitcher, true freshman Andrea De La Rosa would come up with the biggest hit of her career, a two out two RBI go-ahead single, playing both Buckley and Silva.

Needing just three outs to secure the first Saint Mary's postseason victory in program history, Vasquez returned to the circle, and, despite allowing a leadoff single, would induce a fly out, followed by a strikeout to bring the Gaels to within one out of the W. For the final out of the game, the Bengals looked to have a single back up the middle, but Mia Zabat laid out to stop the ball and flipped it to Cutonilli at second to record the force and end the historic ballgame.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)
The Ducks wasted no time with a leadoff home run in the top of the first, but Mia Nishikawa came out of the bullpen with one out in the frame, behind by just a run, and kept the deficit right there through three innings. Oregon would hit another blast in the fourth, this time of the two run variety, as Nishikawa gave way to Odhi Vasquez, who finished off the fourth frame keeping the score at 3-0.

The Gaels put at least a runner on in every inning through the first three, but couldn't push any across in the early going. That all changed in the bottom of the fourth. Alex Cutonilli and Andrea De La Rosa led off the frame with back-to-back singles, and with one away, Tori Cervantes loaded the bases with a knock. That brought up Taylor Lane, who smashed a ball to first base that was mishandled, putting the Gaels on the board, plating both Cutonilli and De La Rosa. Mia Zabat would reach on a fielder's choice bunt that would not result in an out, loading them again, this time for the top of the order and Camille Lara. Lara would promptly poke a ball to the opposite field, tucked just inside the left field foul line, plating two more and giving the Gaels their first lead against the host Ducks.

Oregon drew level with an unearned run in the top of the fifth, but the Gaels mounted a two out rally in the bottom half, featuring a Kiah Silva single and a Tori Cervantes triple, and as quickly as the lead was surrendered, it was quickly taken back by the Gaels. All that was left to do was for Odhi Vasquez to be Odhi Vasquez, as the Gael ace allowed the tying run on base in both the sixth and seventh inning, but stranded those runners to preserve the W.

GAME NOTES

Saint Mary's logged its first two NCAA Postseason wins. In Saint Mary's Athletics history, only the men's basketball program and now the softball program have won multiple games in an NCAA postseason.
The Gaels also picked up their 42nd win, surpassing the 1977 baseball team, who won the previous department record of 41 contests in a single season.
Saint Mary's improved to 4-5 against nationally ranked foes this year, and to 3-1 against Big 10 opponents.
Hannah Ferguson logged five hits over the two contests tonight for the Gaels, moving her within one hit of tying the program single season hits record of 79, set in 2000 by Jennifer Price.
Odhi Vasquez picked up wins number 20 and 21 this season. Her 21st tied the single season program record. She also added to her program career tally, now with 52 wins in the circle.
True freshman Andrea De La Rosa had her first major moment on the national stage, providing the winning hit for the Gaels in game one against Idaho State in the bottom of the sixth.
Tori Cervantes roped the go-ahead RBI triple in the bottom of the fifth in game two against Oregon, the eventual winning hit. She became just the fourth player in program history to log double-digit triples in her career.
Madeline Haun set a new personal best, retiring 16 batters in a row against Idaho State.
The Gaels improve to 32-1 when scoring at least four runs in a game, doing so against Oregon.
With the Ducks ranked 13th in the country, Oregon now becomes the highest ranked opponent that the Gaels have defeated this season.
The Gaels became the first team to eliminate a host national seed this postseason.

Saint Mary's is scheduled for a rematch, or two, against Mississippi State tomorrow in the Regional Final. The Gaels will see the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. and will need to defeat them twice in order to qualify for the program's first ever Super Regional.

#GaelsRise