Game 1 Boxscore / Game 2 Boxscore

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team held league-leading Hamline scoreless for 13 of the 14 innings played during Thursday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at SMU Field.

Problem was, in the one inning in which SMU didn't throw a goose egg at the Pipers, Hamline scored three times en route to a 3-1 victory and a split of the teams' conference twinbill.

The Cardinals, thanks to a one-out, bases-loaded RBI single by Jenny Schipp (North St. Paul, Minn.), won the opener 1-0.

SMU were actually out-hit in the first game, as Hamline tagged Cardinal starter Jennifer Gonerka (St. Paul, Minn.) for five hits in the opener, while SMU managed just four hits off Hamline ace Niki Seal.

Fortunately for the Cardinals, they saved their best for last.

After managing just two hits through the first six innings — a two-out double by Jackie Huegel (Alta Vista, Iowa) in the fourth and a one-out infield single by Jen Gutterman (Shoreview, Minn.) — SMU got to Seal in the seventh. Huegel led off with an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error. Amy Edge (Mineral Point, Wis.) walked and, after Gonerka struck out looking, the Cardinals loaded the bases when Hamline failed to force Huegel out at third on a grounder to short by Regan Cahanes (Woodbury, Minn.).

Schipp then calmly delivered her game-winning single to center, scoring Huegel with the game's only run.

The Cardinals' offense came to life in the second game, as SMU belted out seven hits — but scored only once to show for their efforts. Hamline, meanwhile, made the most of their three hits off SMU pitcher Hanni Lohmann (Lake Elmo, Minn.), as the Pipers' Amanda Gage gave Hamline a 3-0 third-inning advantage with one swing of the bat. belting a two-out home run.

The Cardinals got one back on an RBI single by Amy Langer (Savage, Minn.), but that was as close as SMU would get.