Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jennifer Gonerka (St. Paul, Minn.) came within two batters of tossing her first career perfect game as the sophomore pitcher settled for a five-inning one-hitter as the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team swept its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader from Hamline Tuesday afternoon.

Gonerka retired the first 13 batters in she faced in Game 2, before giving up a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth. Gonerka finished with a one-hit, four-strikeout effort as the Cardinals routed the Pipers 10-0. In the opening game, SMU scored three times in the top of the sixth en route to a 4-1 victory.

The defending national champions have now won 13 straight conference games and 17 straight overall in improving to 23-5 (13-1 in the MIAC).

Gina Rizzardi (Woodbury, Minn.) drove in SMU's first run in Game 1 on a two-out single to score Jackie Huegel (Alta Vista, Iowa). The Cardinals then broke the game open in the sixth. Jennifer Meyer (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Jill Hocking (Apple Valley, Minn.) opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and scored on an RBI groundout by Lindsey Smith (Elma, Iowa) and a fielder's choice by Huegel. Annie Hovde's (Cottage Grove, Minn.) sacrifice fly scored Huegel with the Cardinals' final run. Hocking picked up the pitching win, tossing a three-hit complete-game.

Things weren't quite as close in the nightcap as SMU scored three times in both the first and second innings, then added four more runs in the third to put the game out of reach early. Meyer drove in four runs for the Cardinals, three on a second-inning home run. Hocking and Niki Lynch (Winona, Minn.) each had two hits to pace the Cardinals' 11-hit attack, while Lynch scored three times.