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CLERMONT, Fla. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team's first two games of their spring trip turned out eerily similar to their first two games of the season.

The Cardinals — who kicked off 2014 with a split against UW-River Falls — went 1-1 for the second straight date on Sunday, as SMU used a six-run sixth inning to beat Susquehanna 8-3, while surrendering five runs in the fourth inning of a 12-4, six-inning loss to Muhlenberg later in the day.

"We did some good things — we swung the bats pretty well, especially in the first game," said SMU coach Jen Miller.

Trailing Susquehanna 3-2 entering the sixth inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. Back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Mariah Harper (Schaumburg, Ill.) and Alex Raske (Chicago, Ill.) gave SMU the lead for good, 4-2, while an RBI single by Kathi Opsahl (Elk River, Minn.), a two-run single by Emily Nelson (Maplewood, Minn.) and a run-scoring ground-out by Katie Krull (Rochester, Minn.) gave SMU plenty of breathing room.

Raske and Toni Hunsinger (Farmington, Minn.) each collected a pair of hits to pace SMU's seven-hit attack, while Jess Wirz (Eau Claire, Wis.) went the distance on the mound, allowing just one hit, while striking out four.

The Cardinals picked up right where they left off early in their second game of the day against Muhlenberg, scoring three times in the top of the first The Mules, however, answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, one more in the second, three in the third and five in the fifth

Harper went 4-for-4 with two runs scored to pace the Cardinals, while Raske was a perfect 2-for-2 — and is now 6-for-7 in SMU's last three games. Opsahl drove in two of SMU's three runs, with Raske and Sam Borawski (Stickney, Ill.) accounting for the other two RBIs.

The Cardinals (2-2 overall) are back in action on Monday, squaring off against 16th-ranked Lebanon Valley at 9 a.m. (EST) and Widener at 1 p.m. (EST).