Box Score MORAGA, Calif. – After dropping the first three games in Stockton, the Pacific baseball team (6-7) was able to salvage their series with Saint Mary's (9-7) on Sunday afternoon, rallying for six runs in the final two innings to steal the finale from the Gaels, 7-5.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• With Pacific having scored first in both contests in Saturday's doubleheader, Saint Mary's flipped the script to begin the ballgame on Sunday, plating four runs in the home half of the first to jump out to an early lead.
• Eager to trim the Gael deficit, junior James Arakawa demolished the baseball in the top of the second inning for his second career home run as the long ball cut the SMC lead to 4-1 through two innings.
• As both starters settled in following the first two innings, neither squad would score again until the fifth, when Blake Mann drove home Ryan Novis on a sacrifice fly to extend Saint Mary's advantage to 5-1.
• Never losing faith, the Tigers did not find more rhythm at the plate until the top of the eighth, as Pacific exploded for five hits and four runs to knot the score at five. In the inning, four straight singles from Arakawa, juniors Ben Nemivant and Zach Patterson and sophomore Thomas Gavello helped push across the UOP runners.
• After retiring the side in order for the second inning in a row in the bottom of the eighth, Pacific came all the way back to take the lead in the top of the ninth. First, a sacrifice fly from Arakawa plated junior Jeremy Lea to give the Tigers the advantage before a sacrifice bunt from Nemivant added an insurance run for UOP, putting them on top by two.
• Slamming the door out of the bullpen, Swanson would go on to set up Zach Patterson's second save of the season as the pair of right-handers denied the Gaels in their final at-bats to help secure the 7-5 victory at Louis Guisto Field.

 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Delivering with the bat, Arakwa finished a team-best 3-for-4 at the dish with two RBI while also scoring two runs. Additionally, Nemivant recorded two hits in four plate appearances while also adding two RBI and one run scored for the Tigers.
• Overall, seven of Pacific's nine starters recorded at least one hit as UOP racked up 12 total hits on the afternoon.

• Sunday marked the first of two notable performances as Swanson logged his first win of 2021 while Lea stole his first base of the new season.

 
UP NEXT:
Pacific will play their first midweek matchup of the 2021 season when they welcome Fresno State to Klein Family Field this upcoming Wednesday, March 17. First pitch is set for 6:00 pm PST as live stream and live stats links will be available via pacifictigers.com.
 
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