Moraga, Calif. - In a game that saw the Tigers put together 12 hits, Pacific could not hold on for its first WCC win of the year as the Gaels rallied late to take a 6-5 win on Saturday, March 14. The loss for the Tigers dropped them to 1-16 on the year and 0-2 in conference play while the Gaels cliched the season series and improved to 12-6 on the year and 2-0 in conference action.

Manufacturing runs early, the Tigers spotted their starter, sophomore Will Lydon (0-5), three runs in the top of the second inning when the bottom of the order delivered to begin the scoring rally. With runners at first and second, Pacific executed a perfect hit and run with sophomore Miles Haddad at the plate as the second-year shortstop dropped a single into shallow right allowing freshman Nate Verlin to score the first run of the game. After moving to third on the play, sophomore Danny Mayer came in to score the second run of the inning on a squeeze bunt by senior Tyler Sullivan down the first base line. Having driven in the first run of the inning, Haddad capped the scoring rally with a run of his own as he dented the plate on a bloop single to center from junior J.P. Yakel who fought off a pitch on the hands to deliver the RBI. 

With three runs taken in the top half of the inning, the Tigers could withstand a mistake in the bottom half of the inning as the Gaels turned a leadoff error into their first run of the game. After running their way to third, Saint Mary's was able to pick up the score on a double down the first base line by Logan Steinberg.

Pacific erased the mistake three innings later when junior J.J. Wagner delivered a two-out RBI single to center that brought home Sullivan. Sullivan had started the inning off with a single of his own before moving into scoring position on a bunt and a stolen base. The RBI was the first of the day for Wagner and third of the weekend for the Tigers' third-year third basemen.

The Tigers would finally knock the Gaels' starter, lefty Johnny York, from the game in the top of the sixth with another big two-out hit, this time off the bat Sullivan himself. Driving in his second run of the game, Sullivan laced a single into right field that allowed Verlin to score from second. Verlin had reached on a leadoff single up the middle and moved into scoring position on a hit and run that kept the Tigers out of a double play.

Despite everything going their way for the first half of the contest, the Tigers could not hold on as the Gaels rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth with tiny hits that added up to major damage. Without hitting the ball out of the infield, the Gaels put a pair of runners on to start off a five-hit rally culminating with a three-run home run off the foul pole in left by Jackson Thoreson to put the Tigers behind. The home run was the first of the freshman catcher's career in his seventh overall start. 

Pacific had a chance to answer in the top of the seventh but were gunned down at the plate trying to score the tying run on a single up the middle by junior Louis Mejia. The play at the plate would prove to be the closest the Tigers would get to tying the game as the Gael bullpen kept Pacific off the board in the final two at bats even after Pacific loaded the bases in the eighth with only one out. 

The Gaels would go to their closer, Anthony Gonsolin (5), with one out in the ninth after junior Gio Brusa hit a ball 400 feet to dead center, but needed 402 feet to come up with the game-tying home run. Gonsolin earned his fifth save of the season and second of the series as he got out of a two-out jam that saw the Tigers put the tying-run on second after a double by junior Louis Mejia. The win went to Nathan Simmons (1-0) who took over for York in the top of the sixth. York, in the no-decision, went 5.2 IP while giving up eight hits and five runs while striking out five and walking three.

Lydon exited the game after finishing off the seventh inning as he left with the one-run deficit. Overall, Lydon was solid as he struck out a career-best nine Gaels but gave up 11 hits and six runs, five of them earned in the loss. 

The Tigers will attempt to salvage the final game of the opening series against the Gaels on Sunday, March 15, when the two teams meet at 1:00 pm.