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MANKATO, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team headed into Friday's pool play portion of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament having played every team in the conference during the regular season.

Every team but Carleton, that is.

And the Cardinals' first look at the Knights was not a memorable one, as Carleton used a pair of four-run innings — both sparked by lead-off home runs — handed SMU an 11-2, five-inning setback.

Carleton got off to a quick start, as Kaitlin Bagley delivered a two-run double in the Knights' first at-bat. SMU got a run back in its half of the first on an RBI single by Nat Boissiere (Plymouth Minn.) — but the Knights were just getting warmed up.

Claire Willeck opened the Knights' second with a home run, and by the time SMU pitcher Kayla Peterson (Lewiston, Minn.) induced Micaela LaRose — the ninth batter of the inning — to ground out to second, Carleton had parlayed four hits and a Cardinal error into four runs and a 6-1 advantage.

The Cardinals gave up another lead-off home run in the fourth — and Jenny Ramey's solo shot sparked the Knights' second four-run inning of the game — to push Carleton's advantage to 10-1.

Both teams would score single runs in the fifth, with Anna Ramboldt (Goodhue, Minn.) recording a two-out, RBI single for SMU, to round out the scoring.

Paige Carter (Rosemount, Minn.) went 3-for-3 and Boissiere added two hits in three at-bats to account for five of SMU's seven hits. Ramboldt and Miceala Meridith (Bloomington, Minn.) recorded the Cardinals' other two hits.

SMU (18-14 overall) return to pool play at 7 p.m., squaring off against host Gustavus. The Gusties and Knights play the 5 p.m. game, with both contests taking place at Caswell Park.