LOS ANGELES — The Saint Mary’s baseball team broke out their bats Friday to win the opener of an important West Coast Conference series that carries postseason implications, as the Gaels moved back into first place in the WCC with an 8-3 victory over fourth-place Loyola Marymount at George C. Page Stadium.
The win gave Saint Mary’s (25-18, 13-6 WCC) sole possession of first place in the WCC by 1/2 game after BYU lost at Pepperdine earlier Friday. SMC stayed unbeaten on Fridays (11-0) and undefeated in series openers this season (9-0). The Gaels are also now 12-0 when junior right-hander Corbin Burnes starts on the mound.