CLERMONT, Fla. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota fastpitch softball team looked to have its spring trip kicked off in winning fashion—but just when it appeared a win was in order, the Cardinals' opponent would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Sixth-ranked Trine scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, in handing the Cardinals a 5-4 nonconference setback, while Saint Vincent scored once in the bottom of the seventh, twice in the bottom of the eighth, once in the bottom of the ninth, and three times in the bottom of the 10th to outlast Saint Mary's 8-7.
The Cardinals jumped out to quick 2-0 and 3-1 leads after the first two innings against Trine, only to have the Thunder knot things up with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The two teams traded sixth-inning runs, with Trine sealing the victory on a two-out run-scoring double by Kaylee Fox in the last of the seventh.
The Cardinals' six hits against the Thunder came from six different players, with
Kathi Opsahl (Elk River, Minn.) driving in two of the team's four runs.
Saint Vincent grabbed a 1-0 lead in the Cardinals' second game of the afternoon, scoring a single run in the bottom of the second. Saint Mary's grabbed its first lead of the game with two runs in the fifth, only to have the Bearcats send the game into extra innings with a game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh.
Saint Mary's scored in all three of its extra-inning at-bats—plating two runs in the eighth, one in the ninth and two in the 10th—only to have Saint Vincent match them run-for-run in the eighth and ninth, before securing the win with three runs in the bottom of the 10th.
Stanzy Snyder (Johnston, Iowa) fueled the Cardinals' 10-hit attack against the Bearcats, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs, while Opsahl and
Brittney Birkhauser (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) both finished with two hits.
The Cardinals (2-2 overall) are back in action on Monday, squaring off against DeSales and Misericordia.
