Box Score

LAS VEGAS - Mason Novak and Jacob Thomas each hit 3-for-4 in UC Davis' season opener on Friday at Wilson Stadium, in Las Vegas, the Aggies erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring twice in the top of the fifth and another run in the following frame, but a three-run seventh inning for Saint Mary's gave it a 6-3 lead heading into the Aggies' last set of at bats.

After hitting the second of his two doubles with one out, Thomas trimmed UC Davis' deficit to a 6-4 margin when Mark Cardinalli hit a two-out single to left center, but the Gaels hung on and were able to record the final out to collect the win.

UC Davis will return to the UNLV Tournament on Saturday for its 2:05 p.m. matchup against Omaha with a 1-0 record, Saint Mary's will face UNLV tomorrow night with a 1-0 record.

Four SMC singles in the second inning allowed it to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. It was Charles Zaloumis' shot to left, the third hit in that string of singles, that allowed Jackson Thoreson and Kevin Milam to score.

In the fourth inning, Milam drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on another base on balls and ended up on third on a groundout to Ryan Anderson. With one out and a runner 90 feet from the plate, Zaloumis' sacrifice bunt allowed Milam to score to give the Gaels a 3-0 lead.

That advantage did not last long because the Aggies responded when it returned to the plate by scoring their first two runs of the day.

A leadoff home run from Anderson lit up UC Davis' half of the scoreboard for the first time of the afternoon; a two-out, five-pitch walk drawn by Brad Pluschkell with the bases loaded pulled the team with one.

A single through the middle is how Anderson reached base in the top of the sixth; a four-pitch free pass drawn by Ignacio Diaz and another single from Novak, that split SMC's middle infielders, drew the Aggies even once Anderson rounded third and scored.

Saint Mary's was retired in order in the bottom half of that inning, but when it returned to the plate in the seventh, Edward Haus snapped that tied score by turning a bases-loaded situation into a three-run lead for the Gaels with his double to right center.

Live Stats for Saturday's non-conference matchup vs. Omaha are available at , or by visiting the UNLV's Tournament Central.