Bringing in a run: Cody Kashimoto at the plate. He delivered a sacrifice fly that brought the Gaels within one of tying. / Photo by Emily Smith for SMC Athletics
Gaels Put Together Another Solid Ballgame but Fall 6-4 to USC. Rematch Set with 8th-Ranked OSU Beavers Sunday Afternoon
Saint Mary’s has already shocked the nation with an upset on Friday. Now they return to face Oregon State once again and battle to keep alive hopes of a regional championship.
Coming off an upset of Oregon State that made national headlines, on Saturday evening Saint Mary's took the field in their second game of the Corvallis Regional and put together another solid performance against No. 3 seed USC. But three long balls from the Trojans offense gave USC a 6–4 victory and sends them into the regional final Sunday evening. The Gaels’ season isn’t done yet, though. They face the nationally 8th-ranked OSU Beavers for the second time in three days in an elimination game Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
The Gaels pitching staff was solid again, as junior starter John Damozonio battled through five innings allowing four runs off nine hits. The three arms on the night for Saint Mary's did not allow a single walk, just the second time that's happened this season. Derik Eaquinto pitched the sixth and struck out two batters, while freshman Sam Kretsch completed the final two innings, allowing one run off two hits with a pair of strikeouts of his own.
A clutch two-out RBI single in the eighth would give USC some insurance as they retired the Gaels in order in the top of the ninth to seal the 6–4 win and send themselves into the regional final.
For the Gaels at the plate, Diego Castellanos clobbered a two-run home run in the second that put the Gaels in front 2–1. Cody Kashimoto and Aiden Taurek each had two hits on the night, including a solo blast from Taurek in the fourth inning, his 11th of the season.
Saint Mary’s defeated regional host Oregon State on Friday 6–4 and will have to do it again on Sunday in order to keep their postseason hopes alive—and have a shot at their first regional championship. The winner of the elimination game Sunday afternoon will turn around and take on USC in the 7 p.m. nightcap for the regional championship.
The Battle Is Joined
The Gaels were the visitors for this one. San Jose native John Damozonio made his sixth start of the season and put together a strong performance to keep the Gaels within striking distance. Damozonio made one mistake in the first and gave up a solo shot to USC’s Ethan Hedges, but the Gaels offense responded and then some in the next inning. Diego Castellanos connected with a 90 mph fastball on the inner half of the plate and turned it into a two-run homer, his eighth home run of the season.
Damozonio put up a clean frame in the bottom half of the third, thanks to a diving snag from Aiden Taurek in left to end the inning. Taurek carried that momentum to the plate the next half inning and led off the fourth with a bomb to left center, his 11th of the season. After a quick start from USC, Saint Mary's had scored three unanswered runs.
That lead proved to be short-lived, though, as USC's Adrian Lopez smashed a two-run homer of his own to right field to knot the game at three after four innings. The next inning, the Trojans’ Ethan Hedges homered for the second time to give the Trojans a 4–3 lead and end Damozonio's outing with five innings pitched, allowing four runs off nine hits.
Within Striking Distance
After being held scoreless for three straight innings, Saint Mary’s loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth, down by two runs after USC added another in the sixth. Cody Kashimoto battled to two strikes and then sent a fly ball to left, allowing Gaels catcher Ian Armstrong to tag and score from third. That made it a one-run ballgame.
Aiden Taurek reached on a fielder’s choice in the next at bat. After a pitching change, Ryan Pierce would go down looking to Caden Hunter, ending the Gaels’ threat and preserving the Trojans’ 5-4 lead. USC added an insurance run for good measure with a two-out knock in the eighth. In the ninth, the Gaels hitters were retired in order, giving the Trojans the win.
Looking Ahead: Sunday’s First Game
Saint Mary's is now 36–25 overall for the season. The Gaels have already made history with their first victory in an NCAA Regional. And they still have a path to the regional championship: They’ll have to defeat top-seed Oregon State Sunday afternoon, as they did on Friday night. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. Additional TV, live stats, and media links will be made available at smcgaels.com. The winner of the afternoon game will face USC at 7 p.m. for the regional championship.
