Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | GameDay Preview

PHOENIX, Ariz. — If Saint Mary's University baseball coach Nick Winecke has learned anything about his squad during their current spring trip, it's that the Cardinals are certainly resilient.

For the second time in as many doubleheaders, the Cardinals dropped the opener Thursday afternoon against Simpson, falling to the Storm 7-6.

And, for the second time in as many doubleheaders, the Cardinals bounced back with a Game 2 win, beating Simpson 4-2 behind the five-hit pitching of Will DeBruin (Neenah, Wis.).

“I'm not sure we played our best ball today, but in the end, we found a way to get the job done in the second game,” said Winecke, whose team moved to 4-3 overall with the split. “I give the guys a lot of credit, they had a chance to win the first game, but couldn't quite get the job done. But instead of hanging their heads, they bounced right back and picked up a win in the second game.”

Simpson jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opener, scoring once in the top of the third and twice more in the fourth. The Cardinals, however, answered with a four-run effort in the bottom of the fourth — highlighted by a two-run triple off the bat of Paul LaNasa (Mahtomedi, Minn.) — to take a 4-3 advantage.

Unfortunately, that lead would be short-lived, as the Storm put together back-to-back two-run innings in the fifth and sixth to regain the lead, 7-4.

SMU threatened in the bottom of the seventh, getting back-to-back RBI doubles from Kevin Gannon (Roselle, Ill.) and Curt Swanson (Woodbury, Minn.) to cut the gap to one, 7-6, but, with runners on second and third, Simpson reliever Chris Dorff induced LaNasa to fly out to right to end the game.

Vince Lulic (Mendota Heights, Minn.) and Teddy VanRanst (St. Paul, Minn.) sparked SMU's 10-hit Game 1 attack with two hits each.

Both teams plated a run in their first at-bat in the nightcap, with Simpson taking a 2-1 edge with another run in the fourth. SMU took the lead for good in the sixth on an RBI double by Gannon and an RBI sacrifice fly by Armando Salgado (Chicago, Ill.).

SMU would add an insurance run on a VanRanst sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Tyler Krysiak (Bloomington, Minn.) shut the Storm down in the seventh for his third save of the season.

DeBruin worked the first six innings, scattering five hits, while Krysiak allowed a lead-off single in the seventh.

Swanson went 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace the SMU offense. The Cardinals' other five hits came from five different players.

SMU (4-3 overall) is back in action on Friday, squaring off against Albright College in a nine-inning nonconference game. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CST.