ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team hits the road on Tuesday, as the Cardinals head to Saint Benedict for a 3:30 p.m. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against the Blazers.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (6-6 MIAC | 12-12 Overall) at Saint Benedict Blazers (4-5 MIAC | 15-12 Overall)
 
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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals collected their second conference split in as many days last Saturday at the Saint Mary's Field, dropping a 3-0 decision to Augsburg in the opener, before rallying for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat the Auggies 5-4 in the nightcap | Recap
• Saint Benedict: The Blazers dropped the first game of their MIAC doubleheader against Macalester 3-1 Sunday in St. Joseph, Minn. Game 2 was deadlocked 4-4 in the eighth when it was suspended due to weather | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Saint Benedict—A Year Ago:
• April 19, 2014: Less than 24 hours after holding St. Catherine to just one run in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep, Saint Mary's was back on the diamond against Saint Benedict. The Cardinals' defense, however, wasn't as air-tight against the Blazers, as CSB scored nine runs—including seven in Game 2—in handing Saint Mary's a pair of setbacks, 2-1 and 7-5 at Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field in Minneapolis, Minn. | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back on the road on Thursday, heading to St. Paul, Minn., for a 3:30 p.m. conference doubleheader against St. Catherine.
• Saint Benedict: The Blazers head to St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday, as Saint Benedict squares off against Hamline in a 3:30 p.m. MIAC twinbill.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2015 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2015 Schedule
After having 16 consecutive doubleheaders decided by a sweep—the Cardinals had eight sweeps and were swept eight times in that span—Saint Mary's has split its last two conference twinbills. … The Cardinals' last two wins have both been walk-offs—Ashley Betzold belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of Saint Mary's 3-1 Game 1 win over St. Olaf last Friday, while Allie Borawski (Stickney, Ill.) delivered a game-ending RBI single, capping a two-run seventh inning in the Cardinals' 5-4 Game 2 win over Augsburg a day later. … The Cardinals' 5-4 Game 2 win over Augsburg last Saturday was its 12th one-run game this season. … Saint Mary's 3-0 loss to Augsburg in the opener of their MIAC DH last Saturday marked just the second time this season the Cardinals were shut out. … Kathi Opsahl (Elk River, Minn.) had a pair of two-hit games against Augsburg last Saturday, pushing her team-leading multiple-hit total to 10. … Stanzy Snyder (Johnston, Iowa) hit her first collegiate home run against St. Thomas last Wednesday, while Betzold delivered her second HR of the season—a walk-off, three run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning—in the opener against St. Olaf last Friday. … Saint Mary's boasts three players who have hit their first collegiate home runs this season—Snyder, Betzold, and Sam Borawski (Stickney, Ill.), and Betzold. … Snyder enters Saint Mary's doubleheader against Saint Benedict owning a team-leading .391 batting average. She is one of three Cardinal regulars hitting above .300—Opsahl (.357) and Alex Raske (Chicago, Ill. / .304) are the other two. … Opsahl leads the team with 29 hits, two more than Snyder, and 20 RBIs. … Snyder boasts team-highs in doubles (8), triples (2), total bases (42), slugging percentage (.609), walks (13) and on-base percentage (.500). … Raske scored her team-leading 19th run vs. Augsburg last Friday. She has scored 11 times in Saint Mary's last 13 contests. … Opsahl has amassed five multiple-RBI games. … Opsahl's five RBIs in Game 2 vs. Carleton on March 31 marked the second time in her collegiate career the sophomore has driven in five runs in a game. … Snyder had her season- and team-high nine-game hitting streak snapped in Game 2 vs. St. Thomas on April 8. … Betzold tossed her team-leading 13th complete game in Saint Mary's 3-0 Game 1 loss to Augsburg last Saturday. … Betzold has been the Cardinals' workhorse in the pitcher's circle, logging 131.0 innings. The sophomore right-hander has compiled a 9-10 record and a 2.51 ERA in a team-high 22 appearances. … Betzold has struck out a team-best 64 batters, including a season-high nine against Augsburg in Game 1 last Saturday—one shy of her career-high—and owns both of the team's shutouts. … Katie Homan—who notched her first collegiate pitching win with a complete-game three-hitter in a 4-1 win over Misericordia on March 2—is 2-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 30.2 IP. … Abbey Killian (Fountain City, Wis.) collected her first collegiate win with 2/3 innings of hitless relief in Game 2 against Gustavus last Monday. …  The Cardinals have held their opponents to two runs or less in eight of their 12 wins. … Saint Mary's scored a season-high 14 runs in its 14-5, six-inning victory over Carleton on March 31. It was the second time this season the Cardinals have plated 10 or more runs—having also scored 13 in a season-opening 13-1 win over Wartburg on Feb. 21. … Saint Mary's 14-5, six-inning Game 2 victory over Carleton on March 31 was its second win shortened by the eight-run rule. … With their 4-1, 5-4 sweep of Gustavus last Monday, the Cardinals snapped a pair of lengthy streaks against the Gusties. The Game 1 victory ended Saint Mary's 11-game losing streak vs. GAC—dating back to an identical 4-1 win on May 2, 2011. And the sweep-clinching 5-4 win in the nightcap completed the Cardinals' first sweep of the Gusties since winning 5-3 and 9-1 on April 12, 2005—a span of nine years and 18 regular-season games.  
 
Scouting The Saint Benedict Blazers:
2015 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2015 Schedule
The Blazers head into Tuesday's matchup with Saint Mary's having split their first four conference doubleheaders—including a 2-1 win and 8-0 loss vs. defending conference champion St. Thomas. … After winning 12 of their first 19 games, the Blazers are 3-5 in their last eight. … Saint Benedict boasts six players who are hitting above .300, led by Bailey O'Hotto (.354) and Kiela DeViaeminck (.333). … Kim Lidstone (.326) leads the team in at-bats (89), runs (32), hits (29), walks (9), and on-base percentage. … Sara Wennerstrand (.329), who is second to Lidstone with 28 hits, boasts team-highs in doubles (8), home runs (2), RBIs (24), total bases (42), and slugging percentage (.494). … Becky Gigstad shares the team lead in home runs (2) with Wennerstrand. … CSB has stolen 54 bases in 62 attempts, led by Lidstone (20-for-24). … Wennerstrand has put together a team-leading eight multiple-hit games, one more than Lidstone, while Melissa Seldon, Megan Toninato, and Wennerstrand share the team lead with five multiple-RBI games each. … The Blazers have used four different pitchers this season, led by DeViaeminck, who is 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA with three complete games and one save in 28.2 IP. … Taylor Ellingson (6-6, 4.39 ERA) has logged a team-high 69.2 innings in 17 appearances. She owns five complete games and a team-best 41 strikeouts. … Cassie Meyer (4-3, 4.99 ERA) has made 13 appearances—including nine starts—tossing 48.2 innings with 19 strikeouts, four complete games, and the team's only shutout. … Saint Benedict has scored 10 or more runs in a game three times—including a season-high 18 runs in an 18-2 win over Manhattanville on March 7. On the flip side, CSB has surrendered a season-high 10 runs three times—falling to Cabrini (10-1) and Simpson (10-9), and beating Webster (14-10).