Gaels win! Celebrating a win on Sunday—and earning at least a share of the WCC title / Photo by Tod Fierner for SMC Athletics
Back-to-Back-to-Back West Coast Conference Softball Champs! Gaels Pick up Senior Day Victory over Lions to Secure Third Straight Title
With a 6–1 win over LMU, Saint Mary’s locks up at least a share of the WCC title. SMC has already set a program record for wins in a season, with three more games to go.
It was a sweet Senior Day on the softball diamond for the Gaels: For the third consecutive season, Saint Mary’s secured at least a share of the West Coast Conference title, defeating the LMU Lions 6–1 on Sunday afternoon at Cottrell Field. The victory ensures the Gaels remain in first place in the conference standings with a three game cushion and just three games to go.
In Saint Mary’s final homestand of the season, they took two out of three games against the Lions. Now the Gaels will need to take just one of three games next week at Santa Clara to secure the outright title and punch their ticket to their second NCAA Regional in three years.
On Sunday, 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 at 3–1. Lane added an RBI double as well, providing key insurance for the Gaels.
The Gaels used three pitchers on Sunday, compared to two in Saturday’s win, but had the same result of just one run allowed against the explosive Lions 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. And Odhi Vasquez pitched the final three frames scoreless for her WCC-best seventh save.
Falling Friday, Bouncing Back Saturday
To begin the homestand, Saint Mary’s saw its 18-game home win streak come to an end on Friday afternoon, falling to LMU 11–5. The Gaels erased an early two-run deficit and took the lead 3–2 in the fourth, but the Lions responded with a seven-run fifth from which Saint Mary’s never recovered. The Gaels were able to muster up 12 hits in the clash between the top two teams in the WCC, including multi-hit ballgames from Hannah Ferguson, Sam Buckley, and Victoria Castillo. Buckley hammered her ninth homer of the season to tie her with Braxton Brown for the team lead in round trippers.
Saturday afternoon, in a special Veteran Appreciation Game for Saint Mary’s Softball, it was the Gaels’ pitching that kept the Lion bats at bay, ensuring a 6–1 win for SMC. The Gaels took an early 2–0 lead in the first and never trailed. They racked up double-digit hits for the fourth consecutive game, led by Hannah Ferguson, who logged her eighth three-plus hit ballgame of the season.
Madeline Haun picked up the Saturday start for the Gaels and tossed the first five frames scoreless. She allowed a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt to start the sixth before giving way to Odhi Vasquez. Vasquez faced five batters and set down five batters, surrendering just one run (charged to Haun) on a sacrifice fly, preserving win number nine for Haun and earning a save.
Sunday’s Solid Pitching—and the Bats Deliver
Coming into Sunday’s game, Saint Mary’s knew a win could secure them a share of the title. 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. She got some help from 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 of the first. 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 all three of those runners were stranded on base.
Saint Mary’s took its first lead in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to a leadoff bloop single to center by Sam Buckley. Buckley was bunted to second by Andrea 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 double from Andrea De La Rosa, and the third on a Taylor 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.
Making History—and Three Games More to Go
Saint Mary’s has already made history this season: With 38 wins on the books for the season, the team has set a new program record—with three more games to go. Sunday’s win guarantees the Gaels at least a share of the WCC title for the third consecutive year—a program first. The Gaels will need to win one of three contests next weekend at Santa Clara to secure the title outright.
A few more numbers to take note of: 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 Saint Mary’s Softball top-10, joining teammates Braxton Brown, Alex Cutonilli, and Sam Buckley in the program top-10.
Alex Cutonilli logged the second three-hit ballgame of her season, including her 32nd career double. That makes her sixth best in program history. Outfielder 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, and her first since March 3 against Sacred Heart. And Odhi Vasquez logged her WCC best seventh save of the year.
And for icing on the cake, Sunday’s win marks the fourth straight Senior Day that the Gaels have celebrated with a victory.
Up Next: Gaels Wrap up the Season Against the Broncos
Saint Mary’s will wrap up the regular season on the road at Santa Clara. The three-game set between the two Bay Area rivals starts on Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m.
Story updated May 4 at 6:45 a.m. Pacific
