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WINONA, Minn. — Mother Nature has made playing conditions less than ideal for the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team and head coach Jen Miller.

Rain, wind, cold, snow — in April no less. You name it, Mother Nature has thrown it at the Cardinals this season.

But Mother Nature's wrath couldn't hold a candle to that of UW-Eau Claire, which made life truly miserable for the Cardinals Thursday afternoon at the SMU Field.

The 25th-ranked Blugolds banged out three home runs — including a grand slam off the bat of Emily Muller in UW-EC's six-run fourth — and limited SMU to just two singles in a 9-0, five-inning victory in the opener, then delivered three more home runs in the nightcap in completing the sweep with an 8-0, six-inning victory.

UW-Eau Claire scored single runs in the first and second innings of Game 1, then broke the game open in the fourth, scoring six times — four on Muller's grand slam and the other two on a two-run HR off the bat of Jess Freagon.

And while the Blugolds were feasting on SMU pitching, the Cardinals were kept off balance by UW-EC starter Emma Wishau, who limited SMU to a first-inning single by Hailey Ohl (Bloomington, Minn.) and a fifth-inning single by Michelle Carne (Escanaba, Mich.). Wishau struck out four and did not walk a batter in improving to 4-0 on the season.

The Blugolds picked up right where they left off in Game 2, scoring once in their first at-bat, before erupting for three runs in the fifth — all three coming on Sara Baumgartner's home run off the scoreboard in center — and four more in the sixth.

Erin Stenseth (Eau Claire, Wis.) and Paige Carter (Rosemount, Minn.) each picked up two hits to fuel SMU's six-hit offensive attack in the nightcap, but the Cardinals could not plate a run against UW-EC pitchers Lauren Carlson and Jess Hegseth, stranding nine base runners — including leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and failing to score with runners on first and third and no one out in the sixth.

SMU (15-13 overall) is right back in action on Friday, as the Cardinals host Hamline in a 1 p.m. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at the SMU Field.