By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University baseball team experienced the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat — and the thrill of victory — in the span of two innings Tuesday afternoon.
 
Deadlocked at 3-3 heading to the seventh and final inning of Game 1 in their doubleheader against Augsburg, the Cardinals took the lead in dramatic fashion — as Matthew Piechowski (Hutchinson, Minn.) launched a two-out home run.
 
A pair of Saint Mary's miscues in the bottom of the seventh, however, led to an Augsburg run — and sent the game into extra innings.
 
Saint Mary's took a page out of the Auggies' book in the top of the eighth, scoring on a two-out fielding error — and Jake Kramlinger (White Bear Lake, Minn.) set  Augsburg down in order in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the Cardinals' 5-4, come-from-behind victory.
 
It was another nailbiter in the nightcap — and again, it was the Cardinals to come away with the one-run win.
 
Saint Mary's scored the game's only run on a squeeze bunt in the fifth inning and Kramlinger worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the 1-0, sweep-clinching victory.
 
After stranding Justin Weinberg (Eagan, Minn.) at second — after the junior led off the first inning of the opener with a double — the Cardinals came up with the clutch hit in the second, as Joey Costello (Victoria, Minn.) delivered a two-out single, scoring Andy Tepp (Stevens Point, Wis.) and pulling Saint Mary's even, 1-1.
 
The game did not remain deadlocked for long, however, as Augsburg scored for the second straight inning, plating a pair of two-out runs in the second to regain the lead, 3-1.
 
The two-out hit parade continued in the third, as Tepp laced a two-out double to score Piechowski with the Cardinals' second run of the game. Piechowski also scored the Cardinals' game-tying run in the fifth, scoring on a Will Matthews' (Geneva, Ill.) sacrifice fly to center — setting up the frenetic seventh-inning fireworks.
 
After riding the highs — and lows — of the seventh, Tepp kick-started the Cardinal half of the eighth with a one-out single and stole second. Dirk Drohner (Plover, Wis.) walked and the two moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Augsburg pitcher Joey Tschida got pinch-hitter Connor Cornell (Plymouth, Minn.) to strike out, but Auggie third baseman Cole Paulson could not handle Costello's two-out grounder, allowing Tepp to score the go-ahead run.
 
Kramlinger worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth to earn the win, while Piechowski led the Cardinals' offensive attack in the opener, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, a home run, and one stolen base. Tepp also finished 3-for-4, as the Cardinal duo combined for six of the team's eight hits.
 
Game 2 proved to be a pitchers' duel between Cardinal starter Luke Gilbertson (Windom, Minn.) and Augsburg's Dylan Irving.
 
Irving was perfect through the game's first four innings, only to have Tepp induce a one-out walk. Jacob French (Winona, Minn.) followed with the Cardinals' first hit of the afternoon — a single — to put runners at the corners and Dixon Irwin (Red Wing, Minn.) laid down a picture-perfect squeeze bunt to score Tepp with the game's first — and only — run.
 
Gilbertson, who limited the Auggies to just three hits through the first six innings, surrendered a lead-off, pinch-hit single by Dylan Foote to open the seventh — and bring on Kramlinger from the bullpen. The senior hit Joe Rydel on his first offering, and, after striking out Walker Rogers for the first out, hit Travis Schmidt to load the bases.
 
The bases would remain loaded, however, as Kramlinger got Josh Tyler to strike out, and Daniel Phyle grounded out to third, to ice the win — and the key conference sweep.
 
Gilbertson was brilliant in earning his third win of the season — shutting the Auggies out on four hits, while walking one (intentionally) and striking out four — while Kramlinger added a Game 2 save to his Game 1 victory. French accounted for two of the Cardinals' three hits, with Piechowski adding the other.
 
The Cardinals (10-6 MIAC, 18-14 overall) are back in action on Thursday, stepping out of conference play for a pair of games against UW-La Crosse. Opening pitch in Game 1 at Max Molock Field is set for 2:30 p.m.