Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Spring break began Saturday for Saint Mary's University, and, unfortunately for the SMU baseball team, the Cardinals' offense decided to join the rest of the SMU community.

The Cardinals managed just two runs — one in each game — as St. Olaf used a pair of late-inning outbursts to hand SMU a pair of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setbacks, 6-1 and 8-1.

"We faced two very good pitchers today, but to only come up with two runs in 14 innings of baseball is still disappointing," said SMU coach Nick Whaley, whose team has now dropped five straight — and has only scored one run in each of its last three games. "We were in position to win in both games, but we gave (St. Olaf) a couple of big innings that really hurt us."

The Oles broke open a 3-1 game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning of the opener, then erupted for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to turn a 4-1 nailbiter into an 8-1 rout in the second.

"I don't know what it is, but our play right now is a bit contagious — both offensively and defensively," said Whaley. "When we struggle at the plate, everybody struggles. And when we struggle in the field, it seems like everyone struggles."

The Oles tagged SMU starter Matt Popek (Eagan, Minn.) for six runs — four earned — on seven hits in Game 1. The Oles also took advantage of three SMU errors, scoring their first three runs following an SMU error.

And it was more of the same in the nightcap, as SMU committed a season-high four errors — one in the second that led to two unearned run and two more in the fourth that led to two more unearned runs.

"Defensively, we did not play well today — you can't give teams fourth and fifth outs, which is exactly what we did," said Whaley, whose team scored its lone run on a St. Olaf error in the first game, then got an RBI single from Robbie Johnson (Lake Elmo, Minn.) in the fifth inning of Game 2. "The most disappointing part of the whole day is the fact that we wasted an outstanding pitching performance from Matt Popek in that first game. That may have been the best he's pitched in his three years here, and we weren't able to give him any support — offensively or defensively.

"Right now the key for us is to just stick to the game plan — we've just got to keep battling and keep working hard. Hopefully good things will start happening pretty soon."