Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

WINONA, Minn. — After giving up 22 runs in their last two games — a pair of conference losses to Hamline last Saturday — the Saint Mary's University baseball team was in dire need of a solid pitching performance Thursday afternoon against Bethel.

They got two.

Pat Gornick (West St. Paul, Minn.) and Jesse Pedersen (St. Charles, Minn.) each tossed complete games to lead the Cardinals to a sweep of the Royals at Max Molock Field. Gornick scattered seven hits and struck out six in SMU's 11-6 Game 1, while Pedersen twirled a six-hitter, allowing just a fourth-inning run, in the Cardinals' 8-1 win in Game 2.

Despite scoring first — on an RBI single to left field by Rob Kimlinger (Lake Elmo, Minn.) in the first, SMU found itself staring at a 2-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the third inning.

Thanks to a run-scoring single by Dusty Wilhelmy (Mendota Heights, Minn.) and a three-run home run by Matt Rink (Rochester, Minn.), however, that lead quickly evaporated. SMU added two more in the fourth on a two-run double by Tony Cicalello (St. Paul, Minn.), but the Royals pulled within one in the fifth, tagging Gornick for three runs on three hits to close the gap to 7-6.

The Cardinals gave their sophomore pitching more than enough breathing room in the bottom of the sixth, plating four runs — two on Dan Cosgrove's (South St. Paul, Minn.) two out single to left.

SMU, which snapped a three-game losing streak with the Game 1 win, made sure there would be no nail-biting in the nightcap, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after three innings.

Wilhelmy got things off on the right foot, belting a three-run home run to left in the first inning. The Cardinals (5-7 MIAC, 8-16 overall) added one in the second when Cicalello — who finished the day 6-for-7 with four RBIs and three runs scored — singled home Majerus, then tallied their second three-run inning of the game in the third, getting RBIs from Seth Pugh (Crystal, Minn.), Majerus and Cicalello.

Bethel (4-6 MIAC, 19-9 overall) finally got to Pedersen in the fourth, scoring its only run on a pair of hits and an RBI groundout.