By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
CLERMONT, Fla. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota fastpitch softball team kicked off its 2018 season in dramatic fashion Sunday morning, rallying for four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull even with Alma, 7-7—and eventually force the game into extra innings.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that four-run sixth would be the last time they would score—and Alma would plate a solo run in the top of the eighth, leading the Scots to an 8-7 nonconference win at Legends Way Field.
 
Saint Mary's spotted the Scots a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third—highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Allie Borawski (Stickney, Ill.).
 
Alma regained the advantage in its next at-bat, scoring four times to grab what appeared to be a commanding 7-3 advantage.
 
The Cardinals, however, had other ideas, getting a bases-loaded, RBI ground out from Tara Nikolich (Chicago, Ill.), before Brittney Birkhauser (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) laced a two-run double and Borawski followed with an RBI single to knot the game at 7-7.
 
Saint Mary's threatened in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out, but the Cardinals came up empty—and Alma made them pay by scoring in the top of the eighth to escape with the win.
 
Birkhauser, Borawski, and Paige Gudmundson (Plainview, Minn.) all collected two hits to account for six of the team's nine base hits, while Birkhauser and Borawski each finished with three RBIs.
 
Amber Trendle (Chicago, Ill.) pitched the first six innings, allowing seven runs—five earned—on eight hits, while Amber Chow (West St. Paul, Minn.) took the lose, surrendering just one run on one hit in two innings of relief.