ST. PETER, Minn. — The sixth inning has not been kind to the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota fastpitch softball team of late—especially in Game 1.
 
For the second time in as many doubleheaders, the Cardinals held their opponent scoreless—except in the sixth inning.
 
And for the second time in as many twinbills, that meant an opening game setback.
 
Just two days after St. Olaf scored the game's only run in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat Saint Mary's 1-0, Gustavus took a page out of the Oles' playbook—scoring both of its runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, rallying from a 1-0 deficit and handing the Cardinals a 2-1 setback in the first game of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Gustie Softball Field.
 
The Cardinals shut out the Gusties in the sixth inning in the Game 2 rematch.
 
Unfortunately, the Gusties plated three runs in the first and two more in the third—while holding Saint Mary's to just a single run for the second straight game—in completing the sweep with a 5-1 victory.
 
Ashley Betzold and GAC starter Hannah Heacox held center stage in Game 1, dueling to a 0-0 deadlock through the first five ininngs.
 
And then came the sixth.
 
Saint Mary's struck first, loading the bases with one out and scoring its lone run of the Gusties' second error of the inning to give the Cardinals a 1-0 advantage.
 
Unfortunately, Gustavus did the Cardinals one better, scoring a pair of unearned runs on a Saint Mary's error that allowed runners to score from second and third with one out.
 
Betzold—who allowed just two runs, neither earned, on five hits in tossing the complete game—also picked up one of the Cardinals' three hits off Heacox in the opener. Stanzy Snyder (Johnston, Iowa) and Kathi Opsahl (Elk River, Minn.) accounted for Saint Mary's other two hits.
 
Gustavus didn't wait as long to get to Betzold in Game 2, scoring three times in their first at-bat to take a 3-0 lead.
 
The Cardinals cut the deficit to 3-1 on a one-out RBI single by Mariah Harper (Schaumburg, Ill.) in the third, but the Gusties answered with two runs in their half of the third to push the lead to four, 5-1.
 
Harper, Kali Aldrich (Rochester, Minn.) and Toni Hunsinger (Farmington, Minn.) each collected two hits to account for six of the Cardinals' eight hits in the nightcap, while Brittney Birkhauser (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) and Betzold had the other two hits.
 
The Cardinals (3-7 MIAC, 14-12 overall) are right back in action on Sunday, returning home to the Saint Mary's Field for a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader against Macalester.