LAS VEGAS - Overcoming an 10-4 deficit after five and a half innings, No. 3 Saint Mary's came back to defeat No. 4 LMU, 18-11, in a winner's bracket game of the 2025 West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament from Las Vegas Ballpark.
With the victory, the Gaels advance to Saturday's championship game. The Lions will now play No. 1 San Diego in an elimination Friday night.
SMC scored 14 consecutive runs in the comeback effort.
LMU took an early stranglehold of the game in the top of the second. Already leading 1-0, Nate Savoie blasted a three-run home run followed by a solo moon shot by Beau Ankeney to increase the Lions lead to 5-0, all with two outs.
The Lions got on the board in the top of the first thanks to an RBI single by Robbie Ayers after Savoie walked and stole second to get into scoring position.
Saint Mary's started chipping away at the lead in the bottom of the second. An RBI groundout followed a bases loaded walk to make it 5-2 LMU. In the bottom of the third, a solo home run by Ryan Pierce cut the deficit down to two at 5-3.
The Lions reclaimed control thanks to Ankeney's second home run of the game, a three-run dinger, into the pool at Las Vegas Ballpark to make the score, 8-3. LMU added to its lead in the top of the 5th when Savoie slapped a two-out, two-run single up the middle to make it 10-4, Lions.
A big Saint Mary's rally in the bottom of the fifth created a brand new ballgame. A Lions' error and a couple of infield singles plated three Gaels to cut the LMU lead down to three at 10-7. Aiden Taurek tied the game with his two-out, three-run home run to left.
An RBI ground out in the bottom of the sixth gave the Gaels their first lead of the game at 11-10. After adding another run, Brian Duroff gave Saint Mary's the lead for good with his three-run homer in the seventh inning making it 15-10. SMC padded the stats with a few more runs in the eighth.
Ayers and Colby Wallace each posted three hits for the Lions, while Eddie Madrigal went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, a double and a walk.