Moraga, CA – It wasn’t an offensive explosion, and for the first time all season Saint Mary’s (17-11) came away with a victory scoring less then four runs, however, it would be enough as the Gaels got a gem from starter Taylor Reid, as SMC would hang on to win 3-1 over Cal State Bakersfield (4-18) on Monday afternoon at Louis Guisto Field.

Going into the game today SMC was 0-7 when scoring three runs or less, that streak came to an end today as the Gaels pitching out dueled a very fine performance from CSUB’s Erik Draxton (1-3), who came into the game with an ERA north of eight.  Today however, he would keep the Gaels in check most of the afternoon, surrendering just four hits in 7.1 innings.

Taylor Reid (2-3) on the hill for the Gaels, and he would get through the top of the first pretty quickly getting leadoff hitter Brandon Boren to strike out, then got two groundball outs from McIntyre and Stuart Smith to end the inning.  Reid was sharp all afternoon, and had his best stuff going for him, as he would pitch six quality innings, en route to his second win of the season.

The Gaels jumped out to the early lead in the bottom of the first when leadoff hitter Cory Miller reached safely on the error from the shortstop, he would move to second on the sac bunt from Ryan Mulligan.  Kyle Jensen continues to hit a torrid pace, roping a double to the left field wall, scoring Miller from second, 1-0 Gaels.

Reid looked sharp in his second inning of work, getting a ground ball out from the DH Jeremy Rodriguez, and then got strike outs from Derek Geisinger and Joey Mills.

Saint Mary’s would get back on the board in the bottom of the second, when Anthony Aliotti would come around from second base to score on the infield single from Chris Murphy.  Murphy hit a hard ground ball towards the first baseman Geisinger who couldn’t field it on the backhand and took a nasty Guisto bounce that allowed Aliotti to score, 2-0 Gaels. 

The Roadrunners would get things started in the top of the third with back to back singles from Boren and Richardson.  A fly ball to right field and a stolen base from Richardson would put runners at second and third with one out.  Reid would collect his fifth strike out of the game getting Smith to strike out on a dirty change up for the second out, and would induce the inning ending ground ball 3-1 from Rodriguez, 2-0 Gaels.

Draxton really got into a grove in the bottom of the fourth, retiring the side in order, getting Fazio to fly out to left field, and then back to back strike outs to Aliotti and David, making it seven in a row.

The two sides would trade zeros in the middle innings, with Reid going 6.0, scattering five hits, no runs, two walks and five strike outs.  Draxton would get through the sixth 1-2-3, retiring 13 batters in a row.

Coming in to pitch for the Gaels was freshman Mark Anderson, making his seventh appearance on the year.  He got pinch hitter Mick Gaston to strike out swinging, and followed that up with routine fly ball balls to end the inning

The Gaels would add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighty, when Michael Gastelum would work the count for a lead-off walk, he’s move to second on an error from the catcher Branske, and come around to score on the base hit up the middle from Mulligan.  That would end the day for Draxton, who went 7.1 innings, scattering four hits, three runs, one earned, one walk and two strike outs.

Brandon Berl would come into the game for the Gaels in the top of the ninth to close out the game; he would issue a leadoff single to Branske, but then get two quick outs.  Branske would come in on the single from Richardson, to break up the shutout, 3-1 Gaels.  Berl would get Smith to strike out looking for the final out and pick up his fifth save of the season.

Saint Mary’s will return to action tomorrow when they make the trek up to Nevada to play the host Wolf Pack for the second of their two game season series.  Taking the mound for the Gaels will be freshman Nathan Gonzalez.