MORAGA, Calif. - The Golden Grizzlies baseball team started the season off with a win, 5-0, followed by a loss, 13-2, against the Gaels in its season opening doubleheader today on the Louis Guisto Field.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (1-1, 0-0 HL) saw Reggie Bussey go a perfect five-for-five in the shutout, as Lucas Day accounted for four of the five Golden Grizzlies runs in the opener. On the bump, Hunter Pidek and Shane McAlinden pitched nine scoreless innings as Pidek earned the win with five hits, two walks and four strikeouts.
 
Behind five home runs, the Gaels (1-1, 0-0 WCC) bounced back and took game two of the series as eight different players accounted for at least a run.
 
OAKLAND 5, ST. MARY'S 0
 
Bussey got the season started as he knocked down the first hit of the year, then proceeded to steal second moments later. St. Mary's left Bussey stranded, however, the Gaels matched with a hit of its own and also left a runner on base. Bussey was due up at the top of the third and matched his first inning effort with a single and a steal to put himself in a scoring position quick. Day took advantage of that opportunity and smacked one through the left side as Bussey sped home for the Golden Grizzlies first score of the year.
 
Pidek was dealing through the opening four innings as he held the Gaels scoreless and only allowed less than a handful of hits. The ball stayed in the dirt as the defense held strong, forcing seven ground outs in the first four frames.
 
Oakland's bats continued to heat up in the fifth as Bussey continued to be perfect from the plate. Both Ian Cleary and Brandon Nigh put themselves on base to set up a Day shot out of the park to widen the Golden Grizzlies lead to 4-0. After another scoreless inning from Pidek, Oakland chased out the Gaels starting pitcher and looked to tack on some insurance runs.
 
Aidan Orr and Erik Larsen waited out the new pitcher as they both forced a walk as Bussey continued his stellar outing with his fourth hit to drive Orr in. Pidek did it himself in the bottom of the sixth and painted the corners to catch two batters looking at a strike three call while he struck out the leadoff batter swinging.
 
Bussey finished perfect in game one after he smacked down a double for his fifth hit in five plate appearances. The Golden Grizzlies took care of business in the bottom of the ninth and got the final three outs to take game one, 5-0.
 
The Golden Grizzlies only allowed six hits in its first game and shutout the Gaels in the season opening outing. The Golden Grizzlies knocked down 11, with two doubles and a home run in the win. Bussey led Oakland as he went a perfect five-for-five from the plate and knocked down one double with a RBI, as he also stole three bases.
 
OAKLAND 2, ST. MARY'S 13
 
Just like in game one, it was a strong defensive battle to start the second leg of the double header. The teams went three up and three down in the opening inning and nearly matched it in the second as St. Mary's had the sole hit of the game. Larsen looked to get the bats going in the third with a triple, but he was left stranded. Harrison Griffith got the Golden Grizzlies out of a jam in the third to leave a runner on as he secured the final out himself to keep things scoreless.
 
The Gaels opened things up the following inning as it grabbed a pair of runs off two RBI singles. St. Mary's tacked on two more the following at-bat as it homered to center field to make it 4-0. Oakland would answer though in a two-out rally as Brandon Heidal kept things alive off a dropped-ball strike three to juice the bases. John Lauinger found his pitch and smacked one to left center to cut the lead in half with two innings to play.
 
St. Mary's started to pull away as two home runs, a double and a sacrifice fly highlighted its sixth inning as it tacked on five of its runs in the frame. The Gaels kept it coming as it scored four runs on four hits in the seventh to extend its lead to 13-2.
 
The 11-run deficit was too large for the Golden Grizzlies to make a comeback as it fell, 13-2, to split the day.
 
Oakland left 11 runners stranded in game two as the Gaels took advantage when it had runners on base and only left four on. St. Mary's hit five home runs as the Golden Grizzlies struck 11 batters outs.
 
The Golden Grizzlies close out the weekend series Sunday (Feb. 18) against the Gaels with first pitch set for 3:00 p.m. ET. Sunday's game can be streamed live on ESPN+.