OAKLAND, Calif. – An 11th inning home run by Micah McNicoll, and 16 team strikeouts for the pitching staff, fueled the Saints' extra innings victory over Academy of Art, 8-7, on Friday night.
 
Both starting pitchers were locked in to begin the game, each going three shutout innings to start. However, it was the Saints (3-2) who got on the board first in the fourth inning. Jake Leonard doubled in the right center gap to score Ryne Oshiro to put SMU on top 1-0.
 
Academy of Art (3-6) answered back an inning later tying the game in the bottom of the fifth on a single through the right side.
 
Oshiro connected on his first and the team's first home run of the year in the sixth inning, this a solo shot to right field to put SMU back on top.
 
However, it did not last long as Academy of Art stormed back with a three run seventh inning to jump back on top 4-2.
 
Oshiro led the charge once again for the Saints, this time driving in his second RBI of the game on a double to right center in the eighth inning. Aaron Renaud, who finished with four hits, followed up with a RBI double to tie the game. Scott Gunther gave SMU the lead once again with his double to right center.
 
Saint Martin's had an opportunity to close the game in the ninth but walks, and a hit by pitch, followed by a bases-loaded groundout, scored the two runs needed to send the game into extras.
 
After a quiet 10th inning, McNicoll broke the silence with his first home run of the season, driving a ball out to right field. The Saints continued to produce in the inning, scoring a critical insurance run on a wild pitch to open up an 8-6 lead.
 
In the bottom of the 11th, Drew Rose (1-0) managed to close the game but not before Art U was able to score one run and load the bases. The freshman left the tying, and game-winning run in scoring position with the team's 16th strikeout of the night, the most since SMU struck out 17 against College of Idaho in 2017.
 
Tanner Inouye got the start, and after a sluggish start in his first start two weeks ago, the All-Region settled right back into form. The righty tossed six innings, allowing only one run on six hits, while striking out eight batters. Jacob Woodall collected one out in the seventh before Troy McCormick came in to pitch the next 1.2 innings, striking out two. Rose once again produced another strong outing out of the pen, going the final three innings, giving up one run on one hit, and striking out six.
 
The Saints and the Urban Knights resume the series tomorrow at noon with a doubleheader. Live stats and video of the games will be available on smusaints.com.