Box Score vs. UW-La Crosse / GameDay Online

LA CROSSE, Wis. — The weather was 40 degrees cooler, but it didn't seem to slow down the Saint Mary's University baseball team.

The Cardinals, who were coming off back-to-back wins over SUNY-New Paltz in the final two games of their spring trip to Phoenix, Ariz., on March 15, picked up right where they left off Tuesday, slipping past UW-La Crosse 6-5 in a nonconference game.

While also giving head coach Nick Winecke a few grey hairs in the process.

“It was a nice win — a little too close for comfort, but a nice win nonetheless,” said Winecke, whose team moved to 4-6 overall with their third straight victory. “We played well, got some timely hits and solid pitching.

“We just didn't need to make things so interesting (in the bottom of the ninth inning).”

Interesting? More like nerve-wracking.

The Cardinals padded their lead to 6-2 on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Haugh (Easton, Minn.) in the top of the ninth inning and seemed to be in complete control heading into the Eagles' final at-bat.

That was before the Cardinals walked the bases loaded with no one out. An RBI sacrifice fly and a run-scoring double cut the Cardinals' lead to 6-4 with one out. With runners on second and third, SMU relief pitcher David Dahlstrom (Rochester, Minn.) was called for a balk, plating the Eagles' third run of the inning, before Dahlstrom got Cory Poppitz to ground out to third and struck out Lance Poppy to seal the win.

Haugh paced the Cardinals' 12-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scoring, while Tyler Kruse (Minneapolis, Minn.), Andrew Warren (Stillwater, Minn.) and Zach Olberding (Maplewood, Minn.) all chipped in two hits.

“I'm pleased with the way we played,” said Winecke, whose team returns to action Thursday, opening its home season with a 2 p.m. nonconference doubleheader against Viterbo at Max Molock Field. “It was good to see us swing the bats the way we did — it was a good overall performance.”