Game 1 Box Score /
Game 2 Box Score
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — If Saint Mary's University baseball coach
Nick Whaley didn't have any grey hairs at the start of this season, he certainly does now.
In fact, any more games like the second game of Tuesday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Bethel, and Whaley's hair color will be nothing but grey.
After losing the opening game of the conference twinbill, 10-3, the Cardinals raced out to a 10-2 lead, fell behind 13-10, regained the lead, 14-13, in the top of the seventh, then gave up two runs in the bottom of the seventh in losing 15-14.
"What a rollercoaster ride that game was," said Whaley of the Game 2 loss, which extended SMU's losing streak to four straight. "We got up big early, but then couldn't seem to make any plays and let (Bethel) right back in the game. I was proud of the way we battled back to take the lead into the bottom of the seventh, we just couldn't get the job done (in the bottom of the seventh)."
The Cardinals used a five-run third inning and a four-run fourth to take what seemed like a commanding 10-2 advantage. But the offensive fireworks were just beginning.
Bethel scored five times in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Cardinals' gap to 10-7, then erupted for six more runs in the bottom of the fifth, and all of the sudden, SMU's eight-run lead had transformed into a 13-10 deficit.
Down to their final at-bat, the Cardinals made the most of their last three outs, taking advantage of three hits — and two Royal errors — to score four times and retake the lead, 14-13.
A lead that lasted less than 10 minutes.
Dana Hegman belted a one-out home run — his second of the day — and Tim Oesterlin delivered an RBI double to ice the win, and the Royal sweep.
"You saw a little bit over everything from us in that second game," said Whaley, whose team fell behind 5-0 after three innings in the opener and never threatened in dropping the opener. "We swung the bats (collecting 17 hits), we let an eight-run lead slip away, and then battled back to retake the lead in our final at-bat, and then we let another lead slip through our fingers.
"You've got to tip your cap (to Bethel), they did what they had to do in the end, but what it really comes down to is, we just didn't make the plays when we needed to."
