OAKLAND, Calif. – The Saints outslugged the Hawks in an 8-7 affair on Sunday afternoon to pull even, and force a split in the four-game series with Holy Names.
 
"Another gritty effort by our guys today," said head coach Kelly Gau. "We continued to get opportunities to score runs, and got enough to get the win. Moving forward, we can do a better job at being aggressive with runners in scoring position. Another couple great outings from the bullpen, with Woodall and Rose making the most of their first collegiate outings."
 
The Saints opened the scoring with a Chayson Dulatre double to left, scoring Griffin Williams, in the second inning. Isaac Hegamin added on the same frame with a RBI single, bringing in Dulatre.
 
Saint Martin's proceeded to extend their lead in the next inning, starting with a fielding error on Holy Names. The Saints capitalized and scored two runners before Elijiah Santiago capped off the inning with an RBI single to push the score to 5-0.
 
However, Holy Names responded quickly and in force. The Hawks added four runs in the bottom of the fourth, and proceeded to take the lead in the fourth with another three runs.
 
With the Saints now trailing 7-5 in the fifth, SMU led off with a single and a double to set up a potentially big inning. Hegamin walked on the next at-bat on a wild pitch that also allowed Dulatre to score. With runners on the corners, Micah McNicoll delivered the game-winning blow with a single to right, scoring the tying run, then another error allowed the eventual winning run to score on the same play.
 
The Saints back end of the bullpen, anchored by Jacob Woodall (1-0), and Drew Rose, closed the door on the Hawks. The two combined for five shutout innings, giving up only two hits, walking one, and striking out four. Rose earned his first save of the season.
 
"Winning the one run game really separates the good teams, and getting 2-out-3 this weekend was big," said Gau. "We continue to learn who we are, and are excited for our next opportunity."
 
The Saints take next week off before returning to California to face Academy of Art for a four-game series starting February 21 at 7:00 p.m.