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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Take away the first five batters Tuesday afternoon, and the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team limited high-powered Hamline to just two runs — while scoring three runs of their own — in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at HU's Meredith Field.
 
Unfortunately, those first five batters all came around to score and Hamline rode that five-run first inning to a 5-3 victory in Game 1. The Pipers didn't score in their first at-bat in the nightcap, but they did score single runs in the third and fourth to complete the sweep with a 2-0 triumph.
 
The Cardinals — who entered Tuesday's DH vs. Hamline having surrendered 12 first-inning runs in their last four games — found themselves staring at another deep first-inning hole, as Hamline erupted for five runs in its first at-bat.
 
Ashley Betzold (Farmington, Minn.), who came on in relief of SMU starter Jess Wirz (Eau Claire, Wis.) after five batters, did all she could to keep the Cardinals in the game, allowing the Pipers just five hits — and no runs — in six innings of relief work.
 
The Cardinals cut into Hamline's advantage with two runs in the third on a pair of sacrifices by Alex Raske (Chicago, Ill.) and Kathi Opsahl (Elk River, Minn.), before adding another run on Opsahl's RBI single in the fifth.
 
That, however, would be the last time the Cardinals would push a runner across home plate.
 
Betzold was again on the mound for Game 2 — and again the freshman did all she could, limiting HU to just two runs on five hits in six innings of work.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, as good as Betzold was, Hamline starter Sarah DeMars was even better, holding SMU to four hits — all singles — while striking out three in recording the complete-game win.
 
The Cardinals (6-10 MIAC, 10-16 overall) are back in action on Thursday, as SMU hosts nationally ranked and league-leading St. Thomas in a 3:30 p.m. conference doubleheader at the SMU Field.