Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box / Photo Gallery / GameDay Online

WINONA, Minn. — There was something about the lead that didn't sit well with the Saint Mary's University baseball team Thursday afternoon against Gustavus.

The Cardinals couldn't get the lead in Game 1, and they couldn't hold the lead in Game 2, as Gustavus swept the Cardinals 6-0 and 6-5 in eight innings at Max Molock Field.

“It's disappointing to lose two games like that, but there were a lot of positives we can take away from those two games,” said SMU coach Nick Winecke, who is still looking for his first conference coaching win as his Cardinals fell to 0-4 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and 4-12 overall. “We put ourselves in position to win that second game — and that's what we want to do, we want to give ourselves a chance.

“We just didn't get that key play we needed late in the game, and that was the difference,” Winecke added. “This team has still got to lead how to win — we're in position, we just can't find a way to seal the deal.”

After failing to plate a run in the opener — managing just five singles, including two off the bat of Zach Olberding (Maplewood, Minn.) — the Cardinals found themselves staring at a 1-0 deficit heading into the bottom of the second inning in Game 2.

With one swing of the bat, however, that one-run deficit became a one-run lead, as Tyler Kruse (Minneapolis, Minn.) laced his first home run of the season — a two-out, two-run shot over the left-center field fence to give SMU a 2-1 lead.

GAC responded with three runs off SMU starter Andy Pass (Prescott, Wis.) in the top of the third, but the Cardinals answered right back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning — one on an RBI groundout by Brandon Haugh (Easton, Minn.) and the other two on a double to right-center by Chris Bogie (St. Paul, Minn.).

SMU maintained that one-run, 5-4 lead until the seventh, when Gustavus got a two-out, run-scoring single by Chad Eul. The Gusties then iced the win — and completed the sweep — when Nathan Ruff greeted SMU reliever David Dahlstrom (Rochester, Minn.) with a lead-off double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alan Woitas.

The Cardinals threatened in their half of the eighth, putting runners on first and second with two outs, but Tory Herman got pinch-hitter Joe Krause (St. James, Minn.) to strike out to end the threat.

“I thought we did a lot of good things today,” said Winecke. “We got pretty solid pitching, we swung the bats well, and we made plays in the field.

“Like I told the guys — we're putting ourselves in position to be successful, and we're going to be successful if we just keep at it.