By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Coming off a 9-3 win over Neumann on Friday, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota baseball team was looking to follow the same script when the Cardinals took to the diamond Saturday against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
 
A script that included getting off to a fast start.
 
And fast start there was, as the Cardinals erupted for three runs in their first at-bat against the Engineering.
 
Unfortunately, RPI answered with two runs in the second and four more in the fourth — and the Cardinals never recovered — falling to the Engineers 10-6.
 
"The big innings have hurt us this week," said Saint Mary's coach Nick Winecke. "We are doing a lot of good things, we just can't stay away from the big innings."
 
The Cardinals got off to a roaring start in the first inning, getting a two-out, two-run single from Liam Belleveau (Middleton, Wis.) and the other on an RPI throwing error.
 
After going down in order in the first, RPI got its offense cranked up, scoring twice in the second and four more in the third to take a 6-3 advantage — an advantage the Engineers would not relinquish.
 
A sacrifice fly by Joe Bauer (Pine Island, Minn.) — who collected his first collegiate hit earlier in the game — got the Cardinals within two, 6-4, in the fourth, but RPI answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 9-4.
 
Andy Tepp (Stevens Point, Wis.) collected an RBI single in the seventh and Saint Mary's added another run in the eighth on a passed ball, while RPI plated one in the bottom of the eighth to push its lead to four, 10-6.
 
The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth, but came up empty in falling for just the third time this season.
 
Belleveau and Justin Weinberg (Eagan, Minn.) each had two hits to pace the Cardinals' nine-hit attack, while Belleveau drove in two runs, and Tepp and Bauer also had RBIs.
 
The Cardinals (5-3 overall) close out their 10-game spring trip on Sunday, squaring off against John Carroll in a nonconference doubleheader. Game 1 first pitch is slated for 8:30 a.m. (EST).