Boxscore

ORANGE, Calif. — For four straight games, the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball flexed its offensive muscle at the Sun West Tournament, outscoring its four opponents 40-5 en route to a 15-2 win over Albion, a 6-2 triumph over Bethany, a 9-1 win over Malone, and a 10-0 triumph over Menlo.

SMU's offensive joyride, however, hit a roadblock Saturday afternoon, as Azusa Pacific — ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA national poll — turned the tables on the Cardinals, in posting a 5-0 victory.

The Cardinals, still flying high after their 10-0, five-inning rout of Menlo earlier in the day, managed just five hits against Azusa Pacific — two coming off the bat of junior Krista Conway (Mendota Heights, Minn.), who singled to lead off the third and added a one-out single in the fourth. Mandy Tschernach (Rice Lake, Wis.) added a third-inning single and Jenny Schipp (North St. Paul, Minn.) accounted for SMU's other hit with her fourth-inning single.

APU, meanwhile, tagged Schipp for two runs in the second on a home run off the bat of Anne Paxton, then belted two more home runs — and plated three more runs — in the top of the sixth.

The Cardinals' bats may have been silenced against Azusa Pacific, but they were speaking loud and clear earlier in the day vs. Menlo.

Jenni Gutterman (Shoreview, Minn.) led the Cardinals' 17-hit attack, going 3-for-3 with her first home run of the season. Amy Edge (Savage, Minn.) was also a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate, while Schipp, Amy Lang (Oshkosh, Wis.), Amy Langer (Savage, Minn.) and Amy Barbiaux (New Franken, Wis.) each chipped in two hits.

SMU scored in all four innings it batted, plating two runs in the first, one in the second, three in the third and four in the fourth.