Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

WINONA, Minn. — Talk about perfect timing.

Saint Mary's University's Niki Lynch (Winona, Minn.) picked the ideal time to collect her second collegiate home run, as the Cardinals' junior belted a three-run shot to spark an eight-run third inning, as SMU rallied from a 4-1 deficit to beat UW-Eau Claire 9-4 and earn a split of the teams' nonconference fastpitch softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the SMU field.

Despite the three-hit pitching of freshman Stacey O'Malley (Lake Elmo, Minn.), the Cardinals dropped the opener 1-0 on a solo home run by Jannah Grinnel in the top of the fifth inning.

SMU didn't waste any time getting on the board in Game 2, Jennifer Miller (Winona, Minn.) singled to center to start the game, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Lindsay Mamer (Mankato, Minn.) single.

The Cardinals held on to their one-run lead until the top of the third inning, when UW-Eau Claire (5-7) strung together five consecutive singles, scoring four times to take a 4-1 advantage.

An advantage that the Cardinals made sure was very short-lived.

Ann Munzenmaier (Urbandale, Iowa) reached on an error to open the inning, and, one out later, moved to second on a walk to Jackie Heugel (Alta Vista, Iowa).Gina Rizzardi (Woodbury, Minn.) followed with an RBI single, scoring Munzenmaier to cut the Blugolds' lead to 4-2. Lynch then gave SMU the lead for good, lacing a 2-2 pitch over the fence in centerfield.

But the Cardinals were far from finished.

Singles by Amy Edge (Mineral Point, Wis.), Amy Langer (Savage, Minn.), Miller and Mamer prodcued four more runs as the Cardinals padded their lead to 9-4 before the Blugolds finally got out of the inning.

But the damage was done.

The Cardinals finished with 11 hits — including 2-for-3 performances from Miller, Mamer, Rizzardi and Lynch — and O'Malley struck out three and did not allow a run in 2.2 innings of relief as SMU pushed its overall record to 8-4.