NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team kicks off the final week of the regular season on Tuesday, as the Cardinals travel to St. Olaf for a 3:30 p.m. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader.

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (10-8 MIAC | 17-12 Overall) at St. Olaf Oles (7-7 MIAC | 12-14 Overall)

Last Action:
The Cardinals settled for a split in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Macalester Sunday. SMU scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning in beating the Scots 9-1 in the opener, only to have Macalester bounce back with a 4-2 win in the nightcap to earn the split at the SMU Field. … St. Olaf picked up a pair of conference wins on Monday, as the Oles dropped Macalester 3-0 and 4-3 in St. Paul, Minn.

SMU vs. St. Olaf — A Year Ago:
April 17, 2012: For the second game in a row, the Cardinals found themselves nursing a 3-1 lead heading into the sixth inning against St. Olaf. Fortunately for the Cardinals, the Oles' final two at-bats were a little less dramatic, as SMU — which let its 3-1, Game 1 advantage slip through their grasp in a 7-6, eight-inning setback — held St. Olaf off the board in recording a 3-1 victory and a split in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at the SMU Field.

Up Next:
The Cardinals play their final conference doubleheader of the season on Wednesday, as SMU hosts Carleton in a 3:30 p.m. MIAC twinbill at the SMU Field. … St. Olaf is right back on the diamond on Wednesday, as the Oles travel to St. Paul, Minn., for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader against St. Catherine.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2013 Roster | 2013 Statistics | 2013 Schedule
Sunday's games against Macalester marked the third straight doubleheader in a three-day span for the Cardinals, who, after an “off” day on Monday, close out the regular season with back-to-back DHs vs. St. Olaf (Tuesday) and Carleton (Wednesday). … Sunday's split against Macalester marked just the third time in 10 doubleheaders not decided by a sweep. … Paige Carter (Rosemount, Minn.) went a perfect 3-for-3 in Game 2 against Macalester Sunday. A day earlier, Hailey Ohl (Bloomington, Minn.) went 4-for-4 in Game 1 against Gustavus. … SMU had seven hits in Game 2 against Gustavus last Saturday — one in each of the seven innings. … Senior Julie Bartosz (Mokena, Ill.) delivered her first collegiate home run — on Senior Day — against in Game 1 against Macalester last Sunday. … Alex Raske (Chicago, Ill.) laced her team-leading and career-high sixth home run of the season against St. Catherine last Friday. … SMU has now clubbed four home runs in its last six games, 11 in its last nine and 15 for the season. … SMU belted two home runs against Hamline last Tuesday — a two-run shot by Nat Boissiere (Plymouth, Minn.) and a solo shot by Kristen Thelen (Rochester, Minn.). … Thelen's round-tripper was the first of her collegiate career. … Speaking of home runs, Ohl launched her first two collegiate home runs against Saint Benedict on April 14 — including a two-run walk-off in the eighth inning of the opener. … Boissiere recorded her first collegiate home run in the first inning of Game 1 vs. Bethel on April 2, while Raske laced her first collegiate grand slam in SMU's six-run second inning in the opener vs. the Royals. … Boissiere heads into Tuesday's DH against St. Olaf hitting a team-best .460, while Raske is also hitting above a .400 clip at .402. … Boissiere also leads the team with 40 hits, while Raske is the team-leader in home runs (6), total bases (63) and slugging percentage (.685). … Carter scored one of SMU's nine Game 1 runs against Macalester last Sunday and has scored a team-leading 33 runs this season — including at least one run in 19 of the team's 28 games. … Ramboldt pushed her team-leading doubles total to 10 with a pair of two-baggers against St. Catherine last Friday. … Thelen has accounted for both of SMU's triples this season. … SMU has seven players with 20 or more hits — Boissiere (40), Carter (38), Ohl (37), Raske (37), Thelen (36), Ramboldt (31) and Mel Hamilton (Homewood, Ill. / 22). … Raske has recorded a team-best 14 multiple-hit games, one more than Boissiere and two better than Carter and Thelen. … Boissiere and Ohl have posted the team's only four-hit games — a feat they have each achieved twice. … Raske is also the team-leader in multiple-RBI games with 11. …  Raske had her team-best 13-game hitting streak snapped in Game 2 against St. Catherine last Friday. … Ramboldt, who has had a hit in the last 11 straight games, has now reached base safely in a season-high 20 straight games. … The Cardinals have swiped 16 bases in 20 attempts this season, with Ohl accounting for nine of those 16 steals. … Kayla Peterson (Lewiston, Minn.)  has a team-best 11 wins — going 11-8 with a 3.51 ERA, while also leading the team in innings pitched (131 2/3) and strikeouts (68). … Carter (6-4, 4.20 ERA) has made 17 appearances — including 12 in relief and owns SMU's two saves. … SMU has outscored its opponents 29-18 in the first inning and 25-7 in the second. … SMU is 13-6 when scoring first and 13-0 when outhitting its opponent. … SMU scored 13 runs in both of its wins vs. Augsburg on March 28, and scored 10 runs in both of its wins vs. Bethel on April 2. … The Cardinals have scored 10 or more runs six times this season. … SMU's 13-run efforts vs. Augsburg on March 28 were not only a season high, but also the most since the Cardinals plated 14 in a 14-1 win over Carleton on May 3, 2011. … SMU's sweep of Bethel on April 2 pushed its conference record to 4-0, marking the first time since 1999 that the Cardinals opened MIAC play with four straight wins. SMU won its first 16 conference games in 1999. … With their 10-0, 10-6 wins, the Cardinals swept Bethel for the first time since the 2007 season.

Scouting The St. Olaf Oles:
2013 Roster | 2013 Statistics | 2013 Schedule
St. Olaf's showdown against Saint Mary's is the sixth of eight straight doubleheaders in an eight-day span for the Oles. … With their sweep of Macalester Monday, the Oles have now won five straight and six of their last seven. … The Oles have outscored their opponents 29-9 with two shutouts during their current five-gmae win streak. …  St. Olaf's nine runs in a 9-0 win over Concordia on Sunday were one shy of their season high — the Oles scored 10 runs in a 10-4 win over Houghton on March 28 and in an 11-10 loss to Loras on March 25. … The Oles' five hits in Game 1 against Macalester Monday came from five different players, while Jessica Wilson went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in the nightcap. … Becca Walz enters Tuesday's doubleheader against Saint Mary's hitting a team-best .337, while also leading the Oles in at-bats (89), hits (30), RBIs (18), total bases (44) and slugging percentage (.494). … Walz also shares the team lead in home runs (3) with Haley Schreier. … Walz has walked just once in 90 plate appearances. … Jessica Wilson owns a team-best seven doubles, while sitting second on the team in hits (27). … St. Olaf has swiped 27 bases in 31 attempts, led by Walz with six steals. … Amy Prok and Danielle Collins have been the workhorses of the Ole pitching staff — Prok has tossed a team-best 82 2/3 innings, with Collins close behind with 80 1/3 IP. … Prok has compiled a 4-8 record and a 3.47 ERA with 13 starts and 10 complete games, while Collins has amassed a 6-6 record and a 3.75 ERA with 13 starts and 10 complete games.