Box Score
LA CROSSE, Wis. — Now that's more like it.
A day after managing just four runs and 10 hits — combined — in dropping both ends of a nonconference doubleheader at Northwestern — the Saint Mary's University baseball team got back on the right track Wednesday afternoon.
In all facets of the game.
The Cardinals' offense banged out 11 hits — including two each off the bats of
Nick Winecke (St. Paul, Minn.),
Brady Knudsen (Racine, Wis.),
Brandon Haugh (Easton, Minn.) and
Alex Schmidt (La Crosse, Wis.)
On the mound, SMU got a complete-game, four-hit gem from senior right-hander
Matt Popek (Eagan, Minn.), and in the field, the Cardinals were flawless.
Combined, it all added up to a 5-3 nonconference victory over UW-La Crosse — a win that snapped the Cardinals' four-game losing streak.
"We played very well, especially considering the poor conditions," said SMU coach
Nick Whaley, noting that Wednesday's game — scheduled for nine innings but called after seven due to rain and cold — was played in a constant drizzle. "I think the fact that, because it was raining the whole time, we seemed to play more relaxed.
"It was good to see us finally put everything together — we got a great pitching performance from Matt, we came up with clutch hits and we made some big plays defensively," Whaley added. "All-in-all, despite the weather, it was a great day of baseball."
After spotting the Eagles a 1-0 lead after two innings, the Cardinals erupted for four runs in the top of the fourth — getting a two-run single from Haugh and a two-run double off the bat of Schmidt — then added a single run in the top of the sixth on Haugh's first collegiate home run, a solo shot to right.
The Eagles tagged Popek for another solo run in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly, but that was as close as they would get, as Popek set the side down in order after giving up a lead-off triple.
"It was nice to see us rebound (after Tuesday's 2-1, 7-3 losses to Northwestern)," said Whaley, whose team opens conference play on Saturday, traveling to Saint John's for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. "Hopefully we can put together the same type of performance on Saturday."
