MORAGA, Calif. – The Saint Mary’s baseball team dropped its West Coast Conference opener to Loyola Marymount by a 4-2 score on Friday afternoon at Louis Guisto Field.

With the loss, Saint Mary’s drops to 6-16, 0-1 WCC, while LMU improves to 9-12, 2-2 WCC.

The Gaels got another strong outing from its pitchers, this time with Ben Griset making the Friday start, going 7.0 innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs. Tanner Kichler tossed two scoreless innings of relief.

LMU was just a bit better on the mound, as starter Colin Welmon went 7.2 innings and allowed one earned run to earn the win. Carlos Fuentes recorded the final out of the game for his second save of the year.

The Lions scored single runs in the second, third and fifth innings to take a 3-0 lead. The Gaels got on the board in the sixth inning, helped by two LMU errors. Brenden Kalfus, who had a multi-hit game, drove in the RBI with a sac fly.

LMU scored in the top of the seventh to regain the three run lead, but the Gaels responded with a run in the eighth. With one out, the Gaels got three consecutive singles, but Kalfus was thrown out at the plate in a close play at home. The Gaels did score one run to cut the deficit down to 4-2.

The Gaels got the potential tying run to the plate with one out after Colin Ferguson singled, but could not get the big hit.

Saint Mary’s and LMU are back in action on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Louis Guisto Field.