Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — Saturday afternoon, the Saint Mary's University baseball team proved to have a flair for the dramatic, as the Cardinals scored a single run in the top of the seventh to send the first game of their nonconference doubleheader against third-ranked Wartburg into extra innings, then erupted for four runs in the top of the seventh inning of Game 2.

SMU's better-late-than-never approach resulted in a nonconference split, as the Knights scored single runs in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings to beat the Cardinals 5-4 in Game 1, while SMU's four-run, seventh-inning outburst was more than enough in a 5-2 Game 2 win.

There was more late-inning heroics for the Cardinals on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals were on the receiving end this time around, as Cornell scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat SMU 6-5 in the opening game of their nonconference doubleheader. The Rams left little doubt in the nightcap, scoring twice in the first inning and never looking back en route to a 4-1 win.

"This (doubleheader) was pretty similar to the games against Wartburg," said SMU coach Nick Whaley. "The first game in both doubleheaders could have easily gone either way. We just kept battling, but, unlike Saturday, we just weren't able to get over that hump (vs. Cornell)."

The Cardinals sandwiched a pair of two-run innings around a three-run second for the Rams to take a 4-3 advantage after three innings. Cornell regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but SMU got the equalizer in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout by Brandon Verbout (Rochester, Minn.).

In the Cornell seventh, however, the Rams got back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, and a throwing error by SMU pitcher Dan Cosgrove (South St., Paul, Minn.) allowed the winning run to score from second.

"We had a our chances, we just didn't execute a couple of times and that hurt us," said Whaley, whose team threatened in the top of the fourth of Game 2, putting runners on second and third with one out, but failed to score, then settled for just one run in the fifth — on an RBI single by Kevin Black (Mahtomedi, Minn.). "Our bats kind of deserted us a bit (in the second game). We just did not string any hits together, and when we did, we didn't get that clutch hit when we needed it."

Yet, despite the two losses — and three in four games over the weekend — Whaley was pleased with his team's performance.

"This was a good weekend for us," said Whaley, whose team returns to action Thursday, traveling to cross-town rival Winona State for a nine-inning, nonconference game. "Both teams we played were aggressive and forced us to make plays. We weren't always able to respond the way I would have liked, but overall I thought we competed hard and we battled.

"Right now there's a play here or there that's hurting us — hopefully we can get that straightened out soon."