Box Score

Saint Mary's senior left-hander Johnny York worked into and out of jams throughout the game on Friday afternoon, eventually stranding eight Lion base runners and posting a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 Gaels (22-12, 6-5 WCC) win over LMU (22-13, 10-4 WCC) from SMC's Louis Guisto Field.

York allowed seven Lion hits and struck out three to improve to 4-2 with his third career complete game, including his first of the season. LMU has now been shut out twice this year.

The Lions had a handful of golden opportunities to score in the loss, including having the elusive first run thrown out at the plate twice. Phil Caulfield was thrown out at the dish in the first inning when Brandon Shearer bunted back up the box on a safety squeeze. York fielded his position and delivered the underhand flip to cut down Caulfield, starting what proved to be an inning-ending double play when Spencer Erdman, who finished the game with two hits, was thrown at third on the same play.

Caulfield, who went 2-for-4 in the game, was once again involved in the play at the plate in the seventh inning, as he lifted a fly ball to shallow left field with runners at second and third and one out. Jimmy Hill tried to tag up with the tying run on the play, but was cut down at the dish on a strong throw from Brett Rasso in left.

In addition to those two plays, LMU also had the bases loaded with nobody out in the sixth, but failed to score after York got a pop up from Shearer, a strikeout of Steven Chavez, and a fly ball to right field from Jamey Smart to escape the jam.

While York was busy going the distance, LMU was also receiving a stellar outing from fellow senior lefty, Brenton Arriaga. Arriaga dealt 7.0 innings, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out seven, but fell to 4-1 with the decision.

The lone run in the game came in the second inning when Jackson Thoreson doubled just out the reach of the dive from Hill in left field, and came around to score on a two-out RBI-single from Ryan Novis.

LMU will look to win the series on Saturday when it sends right-hander Cory Abbott to the mound at 1 p.m. in the deciding game three of the series.