Box Score vs. Luther / Box Score vs. Pacific

TUCSON, Ariz. — On Saturday, everything came easy to the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team, as the Cardinals tossed a couple of two-hitters, and plated 15 runs in posting back-to-back shutout wins over Calvin and St. Joseph's.

On Sunday, nothing came easy to the Cardinals — especially offensively — as SMU outhit Luther, and held Pacific to five singles and a double , but came out on the short end of 9-0 and 6-1 decisions, respectively.

“We needed some timely hits and we weren't able to come up with them,” said SMU coach Jen Miller, whose team closed out its four-day, eight-game Arizona spring trip with a 4-4 record. “Walks hurt us a bit in both games, but it was just one of those days when we couldn't seem to get anything going.”

The Cardinals outhit Luther 8-7, but the Norse took advantage of six walks — scoring on all six free passes — en route to the six-inning victory.

Luther jumped out to an early 3-0 first-inning lead, then added single runs in the third and fourth, before breaking the game open in the sixth, scoring four times — three coming on a home run to center field off the bat of catcher Tiffany Kruse, who finished the day 2-for-3 with four RBIs.

Cassie Otte (Randolph, Minn.), Katy Gannon (Roselle, Ill.) and Nicole Olson (New Brighton, Minn.) all collected two hits in the loss.

It was more of the same early on against Pacific, as the Boxers scored in their first at-bat and held that 1-0 lead into the fourth inning, where SMU pulled even, getting a two-out, bases-loaded single by Hanna Schmitt (Rosemount, Minn.).

Pacific, however, wasted little time regaining the lead, scoring three times in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to ice the victory.

SMU's four hits came from four different players, while Mallory Betzold (Farmington, Minn.) allowed just six hits in six innings, striking out one and not walking a batter.

“It's tough to lose two games like that, because the games were really closer than the final scores might indicate,” said Miller. “Overall, I was pretty pleased with the trip in general — we played some pretty good ball. Hopefully, we can get back to Winona, get outside, and pick up where we left off here.”