Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

WINONA, Minn. — As if playing one-third of your entire season in a 10-day span isn't enough, the Saint Mary's University baseball team has decided to add another — albeit "unofficial" — game to their schedule.

Just a day after dropping a heartbreaking, nine-inning contest with St. Thomas, the Cardinals decided to work another shift of overtime on Wednesday, waiting until the 11th inning to break a 2-2 tie and earn a split in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with St. Olaf at Max Molock Field.

After squandering a 5-1 fifth-inning lead in dropping the opener against the Oles 9-6, SMU got a clutch, one-out RBI double from Tony Cicalello (St. Paul, Minn.) in the bottom of the 11th to give the Cardinals a 3-2 win — and snap a season-high five-game losing streak.

In other words, along with their scheduled 27 innings of action over the past two days, the Cardinals added an additional six — one inning short of another complete game.

And that's just the start for SMU.

After two days of rest, the Cardinals will go back-to-back again on Saturday (at home vs. Bethel) and Sunday (at Carleton), before closing out their conference season next Tuesday (at Concordia).

St. Olaf scored both of its runs in the nightcap in the second inning, as Dan Norsten belted a Chuck Wright (Winona, Minn.) offering over the fence for a two-run home run.

The Cardinals got one run back in the bottom of the second on Jose Rueda's (Winona, Minn.) RBI groundout, then tied the game in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Ryan Majerus (St. Charles, Minn.).

That, however, was all the offensive excitement — until the 11th.

Dan Cosgrove (South St. Paul, Minn.) led off the SMU 11th with a walk, stole second, and after St. Olaf pitcher Jon Haugen struck out Majerus, Cicalello delivered an RBI double to center.

Rob Hollnagel (La Crosse, Wis.) picked up the pitching win as he and Dane Bonath (Robbinsdale, Minn.) combined to pitch 7.2 innings of four-hit ball in relief of Wright, who went the first 3.1, allowing two hits and two earned runs. Bonath went 4 innings, allowing three hits, while Hollnagel threw the final 3.2, giving up just one hit and striking out two.

After trading single runs with the Oles in the second (SMU) and third (St. Olaf) innings of the opener, the Cardinals erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take what seemed like a commanding 5-1 advantage. Pat Gornick (West. St. Paul, Minn.) provided all the offensive fireworks in the Cardinals' four-run fourth, belting a one-out, grand slam home run.

Unfortunately, the Oles retaliated with four runs of their own in the fifth — and tacked on another four in the sixth for good measure.