PALO ALTO, Calif. (Interstat) — Colt Peterson pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief and Brock Sell drove in three runs as Stanford rallied from an early deficit to edge Saint Mary’s 7-6 on Tuesday night at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond.

The Cardinal improved to 26-23, while the Gaels fell to 27-22 in a game that featured 13 hits for each side and a late-inning comeback that fell short.

Stanford seized control early, scoring three times in the second inning and three more in the third to build a 6-0 lead. Eric Jeon started the outburst with a solo home run, his ninth of the season, and Sell added a sacrifice fly. Moran doubled and scored on a single by Nati, and Lavin singled home another run. Sell doubled in the third to bring home the sixth run.

Saint Mary’s answered in the sixth. Castellanos doubled and scored on a single by Sniffen. Jacob Johnson then launched his 11th home run, a two-run shot that cut the lead to 6-3. The Gaels loaded the bases with two singles later in the inning but could not push across another run.

Peterson entered in the seventh with a runner on third and one out. He induced a groundout and a lineout to end the threat, then worked a clean eighth inning, striking out one.

Stanford added an insurance run in the seventh. Jeon singled, Moran was hit by a pitch, and both moved up on a wild pitch. After Nati grounded out, Lavin’s fielder’s choice erased Jeon at the plate. Sell delivered a go-ahead single to left, scoring Moran and making it 7-3.

The Gaels did not go quietly. In the ninth, Williams singled and Allred singled to put runners at first and second. Griffith doubled down the left-field line, scoring both, and Castellanos singled to center to plate Griffith and bring Saint Mary’s within one. But Sniffen grounded into a fielder’s choice and Armstrong grounded into a double play to end the game.

Joseph Moreno threw two perfect innings of relief for Saint Mary’s, striking out two. Jake Nobles and Finn Chapman each added a scoreless inning. Brock Ketelsen worked two innings of one-hit relief for Stanford. Sam Garewal allowed four hits and two earned runs over three innings in a starting role.

Saint Mary’s had won three straight entering the game, sweeping Loyola Marymount over the weekend. Stanford split a three-game series with North Carolina State before Tuesday’s contest.

The Gaels will host San Francisco for a three-game series beginning Thursday. The Cardinals travel to California for a three-game set starting Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Saint Mary’s 7, Stanford 6. Interstat’s ELO system gave Stanford a 60.20 percent probability to win.