Gaels win! Raising the championship banner in Los Angeles after a game 2 win over LMU / Photo by Ryan Barnett
Gaels Clinch Second Straight West Coast Conference Softball Title
With a doubleheader split against LMU, Saint Mary’s earns a share of the title. This is the first time in program history that SMC earns recognition as back-to-back WCC champs.
Entering the 2025 season, Saint Mary's Softball (28–23, 11–4 West Coast Conference) had never had back-to-back winning seasons. Now, at the end of the regular season, the Gaels not only have registered their second straight winning season but have secured their second straight WCC title, after splitting Saturday’s doubleheader against LMU (22–31, 7–8 WCC) in Los Angeles to secure the series win over the Lions.
Last season, the Gaels won the title outright and headed for the NCAA Tournament. This season, SMC shares the WCC title with the Santa Clara Broncos, who defeated Oregon State on Saturday.
Game One: SMC 6 – LMU 9
The Gaels could not have asked for a better start to the morning game. With two outs in the top of the first, Victoria Castillo roped a double to left, before Taylor Lane bashed her second home run of the series to deep center to make it 2–0 in the blink of an eye. Pitcher Mia Nishikawa hung up zeroes in the first four frames, while Mia Zabat lifted her second collegiate homer over the left field fence in the fourth for an insurance run.
LMU scored in the bottom of the fourth and brought the tying run to the plate, but Nishikawa managed to retire the side. Alex Cutonilli lined a double to left with two on to give the Gaels their largest lead of the game at 5-1.
But the game was flipped on its head in the bottom of the sixth: LMU scored eight, including seven with two outs, to take a four run lead. Camille Lara drove in one with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all the Gaels could muster, and the Lions went on to win 9–6.
Not only did Taylor Lane and Mia Zabat both send one out of the yard, but they also logged multi-hit ballgames. Joining the multi-hit group was Victoria Castillo, who now has a team season best 10 game hit streak.
Game Two: SMC 6 – LMU 5
With a share of the WCC title on the line in the second game, the Gaels jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the top of the first. Sam Buckley was plunked to open the game, followed by a Camille Lara bunt single. That brought up Victoria Castillo, who made her consecutive game hit streak 11 in a row with an RBI single to left center. Alex Cutonilli hit a hard ground ball to second that was booted, scoring both Lara and Castillo. And with two outs, Mia Zabat slapped a double down the left field line, plating Cutonilli.
LMU scored their first run, one of the unearned variety, in the second, but starter Odhi Vasquez worked the first five innings without surrendering a hit. Tori Cervantes blasted a home run to lead off the fourth, and Jenavee Amador would go yard with two outs in the fifth to make it 6–1 Gaels.
In the sixth, Head Coach Sonja Garnett brought in her remaining three seniors: Claudia Kirchner, Lindsay Cabral, and Avrey Wolverton. LMU scored three in the bottom of the sixth, prompting Vasquez back into the game for Wolverton, but a nice snag by Cabral at the hot corner sent things to the seventh with the Gaels ahead by just two.
In the bottom of the seventh, things got as tense as they could. Vasquez surrendered a leadoff single before recording the first out. What looked like a flyout for the second out was dropped in right field, putting the tying run in scoring position, and bringing the winning run to the plate. A single up the middle looked like it might tie the game, but a perfect throw from Tori Cervantes in center kept the Gaels ahead by one—and brought LMU to their final out. That out was promptly recorded by Odhi Vasquez on a sharp comebacker. That was the game: The Gaels had earned their second straight title.
At the plate, it was the bottom third of the Gaels order that did a majority of their damage. Mia Zabat, Jenavee Amador, and Tori Cervantes went 3–9 with a double, two home runs, and three RBIs. The combo of Odhi Vasquez and Avrey Wolverton on the mound kept the Lions hitless through 5.1 innings. Also of note: For just the second time this year, the Gaels were not struck out in a game.
Next Up: NCAA Regional Selection Sunday on May 11
After clinching a shared title, the Gaels will have to patiently wait for Selection Sunday to see if they get an at-large bid into the NCAA Regionals. While Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara share the title, the Broncos edged out the Gaels 2–1 in head-to-head WCC play this season. Tune in to watch the Selection Show on May 11 at 7 p.m. Eastern / 4 p.m. Pacific on ESPN2.
