Sunday, May 3
Moraga, CA
12:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
38-13, 0
6
vs
1
LMU
32-17, 0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LMU | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Saint Mary's | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | X | 6 | 11 | 0 |
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
SB | Back-to-Back-to-Back WCC Champs! Gaels Pick Up Senior Day Victory Over Lions to Secure Third Straight WCC Title
5/3/2026 4:35:00 PM | Softball
MORAGA, Calif. — For the third consecutive season, the Saint Mary's softball team has secured at least a share of the West Coast Conference title, defeating the LMU Lions 6-1 to remain in first place in the conference standings with a three game cushion and just three games to go. The Gaels will need to take just one of three next week at Santa Clara to secure the outright title and punch their ticket to their second NCAA Regional in three years.
Alex Cutonilli led the Gael offense with a 3-for-4 birthday game, driving in the Gaels first run of the day on an RBI double to help pull them out of an early 1-0 deficit. On her senior day, fifth year senior Taylor Lane provided the biggest swing of the game, a two-run blast to dead center field, giving Saint Mary's its first lead of the day a 3-1. Lane would add an RBI double as well, providing key insurance for the Gaels.
The Gaels used three pitchers today, compared to two in Saturday's win, but had the same result of just one run allowed against the explosive Lion offense. Madeline Haun started for the second straight day, allowing just one run in the opening frame. Mia Nishikawa worked three scoreless out of the pen, picking up her fifth win of the year, while Odhi Vasquez pitched the final three frames scoreless for her WCC-best seventh save.
HOW IT HAPPENED
LMU (32-17, 9-6 WCC) put the Gaels (38-13, 13-2 WCC) behind the eight-ball early, stringing together four first inning hits, but Madeline Haun did a good job of damage control, limiting the Lions to just one run, while stranding two on, as she got some help from her catcher, Andrea De La Rosa, who caught her second attempted base stealer of the week.
The Gaels were quick to respond in the bottom half, as Camille Lara turned a 1-2 count into a leadoff walk, then scored from first on an Alex Cutonilli double. Mia Nishikawa came out of the bullpen and tossed three scoreless frames, preserving the scoreline at one apiece. The junior gave up just two infield singles and a walk, but stranded all three of those runners on.
Saint Mary's would take its first lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Sam Buckley led off the frame with a bloop single to center, and was bunted to second by De La Rosa, bringing Taylor Lane to the plate. Lane charged a 1-0 pitch to the deepest part of the yard, clearing the center field wall and putting the Gaels in front for the first time on Sunday.
Ahead by two runs and needing just nine outs, the Gaels turned to WCC saves leader Odhi Vasquez to slam the door shut on her senior day. After stranding two runners in her first frame of work, The Gaels added three more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, two on a De La Rosa double, and the third on a Lane double to make it 6-1. Vasquez then hung up two more zeroes in the sixth and seventh to secure the Gaels their third straight WCC Title.
GAME NOTES
#GaelsRise
Alex Cutonilli led the Gael offense with a 3-for-4 birthday game, driving in the Gaels first run of the day on an RBI double to help pull them out of an early 1-0 deficit. On her senior day, fifth year senior Taylor Lane provided the biggest swing of the game, a two-run blast to dead center field, giving Saint Mary's its first lead of the day a 3-1. Lane would add an RBI double as well, providing key insurance for the Gaels.
The Gaels used three pitchers today, compared to two in Saturday's win, but had the same result of just one run allowed against the explosive Lion offense. Madeline Haun started for the second straight day, allowing just one run in the opening frame. Mia Nishikawa worked three scoreless out of the pen, picking up her fifth win of the year, while Odhi Vasquez pitched the final three frames scoreless for her WCC-best seventh save.
HOW IT HAPPENED
LMU (32-17, 9-6 WCC) put the Gaels (38-13, 13-2 WCC) behind the eight-ball early, stringing together four first inning hits, but Madeline Haun did a good job of damage control, limiting the Lions to just one run, while stranding two on, as she got some help from her catcher, Andrea De La Rosa, who caught her second attempted base stealer of the week.
The Gaels were quick to respond in the bottom half, as Camille Lara turned a 1-2 count into a leadoff walk, then scored from first on an Alex Cutonilli double. Mia Nishikawa came out of the bullpen and tossed three scoreless frames, preserving the scoreline at one apiece. The junior gave up just two infield singles and a walk, but stranded all three of those runners on.
Saint Mary's would take its first lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Sam Buckley led off the frame with a bloop single to center, and was bunted to second by De La Rosa, bringing Taylor Lane to the plate. Lane charged a 1-0 pitch to the deepest part of the yard, clearing the center field wall and putting the Gaels in front for the first time on Sunday.
Ahead by two runs and needing just nine outs, the Gaels turned to WCC saves leader Odhi Vasquez to slam the door shut on her senior day. After stranding two runners in her first frame of work, The Gaels added three more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, two on a De La Rosa double, and the third on a Lane double to make it 6-1. Vasquez then hung up two more zeroes in the sixth and seventh to secure the Gaels their third straight WCC Title.
GAME NOTES
- Today's win guarantees the Gaels at least a share of the WCC title for the third consecutive year. The Gaels will need to win one of three contests next weekend at Santa Clara to secure the title outright.
- The Gaels are the first team to win the WCC title in three straight years since BYU won seven straight from 2014-21.
- Taylor Lane's go-ahead two run homer was the 14th of her career, as she has cracked the top-10, joining teammates Braxton Brown, Alex Cutonilli and Sam Buckley in the program's top-10.
- Alex Cutonilli logged the second three hit ballgame of her season, including her 32nd career double, ranking her sixth best in program history.
- Hannah Ferguson picked up another two hit ballgame, moving her hit streak to nine straight games, the longest of any Gael this season.
- Mia Nishikawa picked up her fifth victory out of the bullpen today, and her first since March 3 against Sacred Heart.
- Odhi Vasquez logged her WCC best seventh save of the year.
- Today's win marks the fourth straight senior day that the Gaels have celebrated with a victory.
#GaelsRise
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nishikawa, Mia (5-2)
L: Lindsay O'Dell (15-9)
S: Vasquez, Odhi (7)
Batting:
RBI: Sydney Poole 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Avery Francis 1
SB: Avery Francis 1 ; Mya Allen 1
CS: Sydney Poole 1
Batting:
2B: Cutonilli, Alex 1 ; De La Rosa, Andrea 1 ; Lane, Taylor 1
HR: Lane, Taylor 1
RBI: Cutonilli, Alex 1 ; De La Rosa, Andrea 2 ; Lane, Taylor 3
SH: De La Rosa, Andrea 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lara, Camille 1 ; Cutonilli, Alex 1 ; Medina, Julia 1 ; Buckley, Sam 1 ; De La Rosa, Andrea 1 ; Lane, Taylor 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P/INF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballRHP
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballRHP
/ SoftballSB | Saint Mary's vs. LMU Highlights, 5-3-26
Sunday, May 03
SB | Saint Mary's vs. LMU Highlights, 5-2-26
Saturday, May 02
SB | Saint Mary's vs. LMU Highlights, 5-1-26
Friday, May 01
SB | Alex Cutonilli Highlights at USD
Tuesday, April 28
