MORAGA, Calif.- After falling 6-1 in the first game of the afternoon, the Pacific softball team rallied back in extra innings to take game two, 3-2, over Saint Mary's for the conference series opener split with the Gaels.
 
"Just a tremendous game to finish the day with," head coach Brian Kolze shared the day. "We did not play a very clean first game, but the team showed a lot of fight and heart in the second game. Avery [Croxall] was amazing in the circle, going all nine innings and we had clutch RBI's by Delaney [Scully] and sacrifice fly by Reagan [Hamilton] in the 9th."
 
Senior Rian Dirmeyer led the Tigers with back to back two hit games, while tallying an RBI in game two. Junior Talissa Montez scored the lone run of game one, while also recording a hit. Across both games, junior Delaney Scully notched two hits, including her game tying home run in the top of the sixth in game two.
 
Four different Tigers recorded RBI's on the day, with sophomore Olivia Silvestre drawing in Montez in for the score in the opener. Along with Dirmeyer and Scully, senior Reagan Hamilton batted out a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to edge out the Gaels after drawing in junior Nikki Enriquez.
 
Graduate student Vanessa Strong earned the start in game one, pitching through 6.0 innings. She faced 28 batters, struck out one, while allowing six hits and six runs. Senior Avery Croxall pitched a career high 9.0 innings after collecting the start in game two. The senior faced 35 batters and struck out five, the most strikeouts of any pitcher on the day. She allowed only four hits and two runs, while moving to a 5-2 record from the circle.
 
In the conference opener, the Gaels got a head start after scoring two runs in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of the Tiger error. Montez's run chipped at the lead after she scored from the successful sacrifice by Silvestre in the top of the third, but the Gaels turned around and put up four more runs between the fourth and fifth innings to cement the game 6-1.
 
The Tigers struck first in game two after a single from Dirmeyer allowed Silvestre to score. Saint Mary's responded with a two RBI homer from Sam Buckley to take the lead 2-1. Scully rattled off her second home run of the season to tie the game 2-all before both teams went scoreless through regulation. 
 
In extra innings, it was the Tigers that broke through first after Enriquez scored the go ahead run. Croxall shut down Saint Mary's attempt at a response, not allowing a hit and striking out a batter in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Tigers return tomorrow, Saturday, April 13 for their third game of the four game series against the Gaels with the game set for noon at Cottrell Field.
 
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