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Saint Mary's Cardinals   18-14 Overall		UW-Eau Claire Blugolds    25-8 Overall

Live In-Game Statistics / GameDay Online / Media Notebook

Last Action: The Cardinals tossed a pair of shutouts against Macalester Wednesday, as SMU blanked the Scots 7-0 and 8-0 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at the SMU Field. … The Blugolds, meanwhile, have been off since last Saturday, when UW-Eau Claire swept a conference doubleheader from UW-Stevens Point, 7-4 and 11-3.

Last Meeting: The Cardinals may have started fast in their nonoconference doubleheader against the Blugolds — scoring four runs in the first two innings — but they didn't have the all-important finishing kick, as the Blugolds scored three times in the third and once in the fourth to edge Saint Mary's 5-4 in the teams' season-opener at the Rosemount Dome. And things didn't go any better in the second game, as SMU once again jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first two innings, only to give up a single run in the top of the third and four runs in the sixth as UW-Eau Claire completed the sweep with a 6-4 victory.

Saint Mary's Cardinal Notes: With their sweep of Macalester, the Cardinals' slim Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament hopes were still alive — but just barely. The Cardinals improved to 10-10 in the MIAC, but still trail fourth-place Bethel (10-6) by four games in the loss column heading into the final conference games. SMU must sweep the Tommies on Saturday, then have the Royals lose at least five of their last six — while fifth-place St. Catherine must lose three of its last four — to earn a spot in the four-team tournament. … Cassie Otte (Randolph, Minn.), Nicole Olson (New Brighton, Minn.) and Katy Gannon (Roselle, Ill.) — SMU's No. 1, 2 and 3 hitters in the lineup — all picked up three hits in the opener, with Olson adding three RBIs, while Danielle Geske (Rosemount, Minn.) drove in two runs. … Otte added a 3-for-4 performance — including a pair of hits in SMU's six-run fifth inning — in the nightcap. … Otte, who had just one four-hit game in her first three seasons as a Cardinal — a 4-for-5 effort vs. UW-Stout on March 24, 2007, put together a pair of 4-for-4 performances last week — going 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored vs. Augsburg last Thursday, while also going 4-for-4 with two runs scored vs. St. Catherine on Saturday. … Otte now boasts a team-best 20 multiple-hit games this season. … Otte also leads the team in average (.484), at-bats (122), runs (35), hits (59), total bases (62) and stolen bases (21). … Fifty-seven of Otte's 59 hits have been singles. … Gannon is the team's RBI leader (30), while also leading the team in home runs (4) and slugging percentage (.525). Gannon also boasts a team-best 10 extra-base hits and seven multiple-RBI games — including a career-best five RBIs during a 3-for-3 showing against Mount Mary on March 20. … Gannon was held hitless in Game 1 vs. Saint Benedict on April 4, snapping her season-, team- and career-high 14-game hitting streak. … Mallory Betzold (Farmington, Minn.) and Madeline Salmon (Woodbury, Minn.) combined on a five-hitter in the opener vs. Macalester Wednesday, while Jaci Prondzinski (Ettrick, Wis.) tossed a five-inning four-hitter in Game 2. … SMU's pitching staff enters today's DH boasting a 3.17 earned-run-average. … Betzold has thrown a team-leading 124.2 innings, posting a 3.59 earned-run-average and an 11-10 record, while also striking out a team-best 54. … SMU's 7-0, 8-0 wins vs. Macalester marked the first time this season the Cardinals have swept a doubleheader by shutout. … SMU was held to its two lowest hit totals of the season last week, managing just one in Sunday's Game 2 loss to Gustavus, while finishing with just two hits in a 5-1 Game 2 loss to Augsburg last Thursday. … SMU's 7-2, Game 1 loss vs. Concordia on April 11 was the Cardinals' first extra-inning game of the season and the longest extra-inning game since the 2006 season, when SMU played two nine-inning games, one 10-inning contest and one 11-inning marathon. … The Cobbers' seven runs in Game 2 on April 11 marked the most allowed by SMU in a win since the Cardinals beat Buena Vista 17-9 on March 8, 2008. … The Cardinals' 12-run outburst vs. Augsburg last Thursday was the ninth time this season they scored 10 or more runs. … The Cardinals have outscored their first 32 opponents 220-107 — including 38-9 in the second inning and 26-7 in the fourth. SMU has given up 28 runs combined from the sixth inning on. … SMU is 11-0 when scoring in the first inning and 14-0 when scoring the game's first run. … Eight of SMU's 18 wins have come via shutout, while the Cardinals are 14-0 when holding their opponent to two runs or less … On the flip side, SMU has been held under three runs in 10 of its 13 losses.

UW-Eau Claire Blugold Notes: The Blugolds enter today's nonconference doubleheader ranked No. 18 in the latest NFCA Division III Top 25. … UW-Eau Claire has appeared in each of the last three NCAA Division III national championships, bringing home a national title a year ago. … With their sweep of UW-Stevens Point, the Blugolds have now won five of their last six games. … Katie Stalker has been the Blugolds' offensive leader, boasting team highs in average (.467), at-bats (107), runs (38), hits (50), total bases (54) and walks (19). Stalker has also stolen 17 of the team's 40 bases. … Bekki Kidnie has driving in a team-leading 27 RBIs, while also leading the team with two home runs. … Stalker and Kidnie (.405) are two of five UW-EC players batting above .400. As a team, the Blugolds are hitting .351. …  Aleisha Harper has hit safely in 26 of the 30 games she's played, including hitting streaks of 20 and six games. … Jenny Ross has thrown a team-leading 78.2 innings with a team-best 89 strikeouts, while Ashley Meinen has thrown 58.0 innings and Bri Strum has tossed 55.1. The trio have helped lead the Blugolds to a 2.41 team ERA. … UW-Eau Claire has scored six or more runs in 19 of its 25 wins and are 23-2 when outhitting their opponent. The Blugolds are also 14-1 when holding their foes to two runs or less. … UW-Eau Claire has not lost a game in which they Blugolds have scored in the first inning (14-0) and are 18-3 when scoring first.