Boxscore

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team experienced both ends of the spectrum during their first two games of the NFCA Lead-Off Classic Friday afternoon.

And, unfortunately for the Cardinals, neither experience was one they would call memorable.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 4-0, fifth-inning lead, but gave up three runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the bottom of the seventh in dropping their season-opener in dramatic fashion, 5-4 to Coe.

There wasn't much drama in the second game, however, as Trinity pitcher Erin Mulvey held the Cardinals to just three singles in shutout out Saint Mary's 8-0 in five innings.

Nikki Jung (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) got the Cardinals on the board early vs. Coe, as the senior belted a two-run, third-inning double to give SMU a 2-0 lead. The Cardinals pushed that lead to 4-0 in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Jung and a Coe throwing error.

From that point on, however, the Cardinals' offense went into hibernation — and Coe and Trinity were just getting warmed up.

The Kohawks plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the gap to 4-3, then completed the come-from-behind win on a two-run, Abby Wendmeier double in the bottom of the seventh.

Trinity picked up where Coe left off, scoring in all five innings — including single runs in the first, fourth and fifth and a pair of runs in the second and three more in the third — while holding SMU to singles by Jung, Jenny Giannini (River Grove, Ill.) and Hannah Schmitt (Rosemount, Minn.).