Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The goal of the Saint Mary's University baseball team during its three-game season-opening series against Christian Brothers University was a simple one — improve with each game.

And, offensively, the Cardinals did just that.

Unfortunately, they weren't able to parlay that improvement into any wins, as the Bucs completed a perfect 3-0 run vs. the Cardinals with a 9-6 victory Saturday afternoon.

The Cardinals, who were one out away from being CBU pitcher John Daush's first-ever perfect-game victim in losing their season-opener 4-0, got their offense on track in the second game of Friday's nonconference doubleheader, collecting 10 hits and five runs in a 6-5 setback.

And Saturday, that offensive improvement continued, as SMU scored a season-best six runs on eight hits — including the first home run of the season, a two-run shot by Brady Knudsen (Racine, Wis.) in the third inning — only to come up just short once again, as CBU broke a 6-6 tie with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to ice the 9-6 win.

"This was a good trip for us," said SMU coach Nick Whaley, whose team became the first collegiate squad in Minnesota to play a game when they took the field Friday afternoon. "We found ourselves in all kinds of different situations — some we handled well, other we didn't, but that's part of the learning process.

"All-in-all, I was very happy."

CBU jumped on SMU starter Matt Popek (Eagan, Minn.) for six runs, only three of which were earned, in four innings, as the Bucs grabbed a 6-2 advantage. SMU plated single runs in the fifth and sixth, then tied the game on a bases-loaded walk to Dan Cosgrove (South St Paul, Minn.) and an RBI sacrifice fly by Nick Winecke (St. Paul, Minn.) in the top of the eighth.

Then came the Bucs' half of the eighth.

SMU reliever Tyler Igou (Spencer, Iowa) hit the first two batters he faced, and the two advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. A one-out walk to Ryne Dahlke loaded the bases and Andrew Griffey followed with an RBI single. Cosgrove, on in relief of Igou, got Rocky Escajadillo to ground to short, but the relay from second baseman Kevin Black (Mahtomedi, Minn.) to first to complete what would have been an inning-ending double play sailed wide, allowing the Bucs' third run of the inning to score.

"Obviously, you hate to travel this far and not be able to come away with a win, but this trip really wasn't about wins and losses," said Whaley. "Our goal was to get a couple games under our belts and get a little bit of a gauge as to where we are at.

"Everyone played hard — it was a good start for us."