Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  | GameDay Preview

ST. PETER, Minn. — After scoring just eight runs in their last four games combined, the Saint Mary's University baseball team kicked its offense into high gear Saturday afternoon against Gustavus — nearly equaling that four-game offensive output in the first game alone.

Vince Lulic (Mendota Heights, Minn.), Paul LaNasa (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Matt Tessmer (West St. Paul, Minn.) all had two hits, and the always-consistent Teddy VanRanst (St. Paul, Minn.) recorded his team-leading third complete game of the season, as the Cardinals outlasted the host Gusties 7-6 in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener.

And as good as the Cardinals were in the opener, they were even better in the nightcap, erupting for 15 runs — eight in the sixth inning — as they completed the conference sweep with a 15-4 victory.

"It was a good day of baseball," said SMU coach Nick Winecke. "Offensively, I thought our guys did a great job of staying with the game plan all day long. We had some great at-bats and executed when we needed to.

"Add to that the fact that we got solid pitching — Teddy did a great job in Game 1, and the three guys were used in Game 2 went out and got the job done," Winecke added. "it was a solid performance all the way around."

The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead, sending 10 batters to the plate in the third, scoring four runs on six hits. Gustavus got a run back on the bottom of the third, but SMU plated single runs in the fourth and fifth to push its lead to 6-1.

Gustavus tagged VanRanst for two runs on two hits in the sixth, and, after the Cardinals made it 7-3 in their half of the seventh, the Gusties took advantage of a pair of SMU errors to score three unearned runs and cut the gap to 7-6. But VanRanst got Garrett Fuchs to ground out to second to end the threat — and snap the Cardinals' four-game losing streak.

Lulic finished the opener 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, while LaNasa was 2-for4 with two RBIs and Tessmer was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

VanRanst, who has thrown six or more innings in each of his last three starts — and has not pitched fewer than four innings in any of his six starts this season — allowed two earned runs on seven hits, while striking out three.

It was the Gusties who put up a four-run inning early in the second game, scoring four times off SMU starter Matt Biagini (Bloomington, Minn.) in the second inning. The Cardinals got two runs back in the top of the third, as Pat Krieger (Mendota Heights, Minn.) belted his first home run of the season — a two-run, two-out shot — then pulled even, 4-4, with two more runs in the top of the fourth.

The Cardinals then grabbed their first lead of the game — and put the game out of reach — in the sixth, as Zach Wolfe (Wabasha, Minn.) and Mike Feriancek (River Falls, Wis.) delivered back-to-back RBI singles, Curt Swanson (Woodbury, Minn.) drew a bases-loaded walk, Kevin Gannon (Roselle, Ill.) belted a bases-clearing, three-run double and Lulic added a two-run single to give SMU a 12-4 advantage.

SMU would add three more runs in the seventh — one on a Krieger sacrifice fly, another on Gannon's RBI double and the third on a GAC balk — to complete the rout.

The Cardinals banged out 14 Game 2 hits, led by Wolfe's 3-for-4 effort, while Feriancek, Swanson and Gannon all chipped in two. Gannon finished with four RBIs, while Krieger drove in three, and Lulic and Wolfe each had two RBIs.

Biagini went the first 3.1 innings, allowing all four GAC runs on five hits, while Sean Minder (Maplewood, Minn.) picked up his second pitching win of the season, throwing 2.1 innings of one-hit relief. Justin Kronebusch (Altura, Minn.) went the final 1.1 innings, also limiting Gustavus to one hit.

The Cardinals (2-6 MIAC, 13-14 overall) are back in action on Wednesday, traveling to Northfield, Minn., for a 2:30 p.m. conference doubleheader against St. Olaf.