By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
MOORHEAD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota fastpitch softball team returns to action on Saturday, as the Cardinals head to Concordia for a conference doubleheader against the Cobbers. Opening pitch in Game 1 is set for noon.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (4-14 MIAC, 8-24 Overall) at Concordia Cobbers (1-17 MIAC, 9-25 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats: Game 1 * Game 2
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—April 24, 2019 * Saint Mary's Field * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals collected a conference split against Augsburg, using a four-run fifth to beat the Auggies 4-1 in the opener, only to have Augsburg score the game's first seven runs and hold a furious late-game Saint Mary's comeback in winning the nightcap 7-5 | Recap
• Concordia—April 25, 2019 * Morris, Minn.: The Cobbers picked up a split in their final nonconference doubleheader of the season, beating UM-Morris 11-1 in the opener, before falling 8-0 in Game 2 | Game 1 Box * Game 2 Box
 
Saint Mary's vs. Concordia — Their Last Meeting:
• April 28, 2018 * Saint Mary's Field * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's was celebrating Senior Day for its five graduating seniors — and were hoping to continue the celebration after two wins against Concordia. Unfortunately, the Cobbers had other plans – raining on the Cardinals' parade by sweeping Saint Mary's 2-1 and 4-2 | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals close out the regular season — and bid farewell to their three graduating seniors — on Sunday, hosting Bethel in a pair of conference games at the Saint Mary's Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
• Concordia: The Cobbers round out their 2019 schedule on Sunday, traveling to St. Paul, Minn., for a 1 p.m. MIAC doubleheader against Hamline.
 
Scouting the Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2019 Roster | 2019 Schedule | 2019 Statistics
• With their 4-1 win over Augsburg Wednesday, the  Cardinals snapped their six-game losing streak. … The Cardinals picked up their first sweep of the season Monday with their 4-0, 4-2 win over Macalester on April 8. … Saint Mary's 4-0 win over the Scots on April 8 snapped their season-high seven-game losing streak. … The Cardinals' Game 1 victory over Macalester on April 8 was their second shutout win of the season — Saint Mary's also blanked Rose-Hulman 1-0 on Feb. 25. … Tara Nikolich (Chicago, Ill.) and Roni Stevens (Delano, Minn.) had Saint Mary's two hits in its 4-1 Game 1 win over Augsburg Wednesday, while Nikolich and Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis.) each had two hits in the nightcap. … Justine Schultz (Winona, Minn.) went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs in Game 2 vs. St. Catherine on April 20, it was her second three-hit game of the season — and her team-leading ninth multiple-hit game. … With her two-run, first-inning single against St. Catherine on April 20, Maria Averbeck (Lewiston, Minn.) has now had two RBIs in a game three times this season — the first three two-RBI games of her career. … Averbeck delivered her first collegiate double as part of her first career two-hit game in the nightcap against St. Thomas on April 14. … Schultz and Schmeling lead the team with .321 and .308 batting averages, respectively, followed Amber Chow (West St. Paul, Minn. / .281). … Schultz also leads the team with 28 hits, one more than Schmeling. … Schmeling is the team-leader in runs scored with 15, while also leading the Cardinals in RBIs (12), walks (15), and total bases (38). … Schultz and Schmeling have each belted a team-high six doubles and Schmeling boasts a team-best .404 slugging percentage. … Schmeling, Nikolich, and Amy Kulaga (Riverside, Ill.) have hit the Cardinals' three triples this season. … One of Schmeling's two hits in Game 2 against Hamline on April 6 was a home run — the first round-tripper of her career. … Saint Mary's boasts six players who have recorded their first hits in a Cardinal uniform this season. McKayla Ahlrich (Sleepy Eye, Minn.) had one of the Cardinals' five Game 2 hits vs. UW-La Crosse on March 28, while Signey Stoesz (Mountain Lake, Minn.) and Sullivan recorded theirs against Luther on March 15, and Kulaga, DeJaye Baab (Wabasha, Minn.), and Averbeck collected their first collegiate hits during the Cardinals' 10-game spring trip. … The Cardinals are 11-for-13 in stolen base attempts — led by Schultz, who is a perfect 7-for-7. … The Cardinals boast 41 multiple-hit games — including the first career three-hit contests by Chow, Kulaga and Sullivan. … Baab and Stevens recorded their first collegiate two-hit games during Saint Mary's spring trip. … Schmeling delivered her first career five-RBI game in the Cardinals' season-opening 10-9 win over Alma on Feb. 24. … Saint Mary's collected a season-high nine walks in their 3-2 Game 1 loss to St. Olaf on March 31. It the most walks in a game since inducing nine walks from Macalester pitchers during the 2015 season. … Chow — who picked up her first shutout of the season, and second of her career, with a three-hitter against Macalester in Game 1 on April 8 — has made a team-leading 18 starts in the pitcher's circle, four more than Amber Trendle (Chicago, Ill.). … Chow has logged a team-high 112.0 innings, compiling a 4-11 record and 4.19 ERA, while Trendle boasts a 3-13 record and 4.46 ERA in 80.0 innings. … Stoesz has made 10 pitching appearances, going 1-0 with a 3.59 ERA in 13.2 innings. … Chow has struck out a team-high 37 batters, seven more than Trendle. … Trendle struck out a career-high eight batters in the Cardinals' 1-0 win over Rose-Hulman on Feb. 25. … Stoesz pitched one inning of shutout, one-hit relief en route to her first collegiate pitching win in the Cardinals' season-opening, 10-9 victory over Alma. … Saint Mary's has outscored its opponents 25-15 in the fifth inning, but have been outscored 30-16 in the first, 35-9 in the third, and 36-14 in the fourth. … The Cardinals have played eight one-run games, going 3-5. … The Cardinals are 4-7 when scoring first, but just 4-17 when their opponent plates the game's first run. … Saint Mary's has held its opponents to two runs or less in five of its eight wins. On the flip side, the Cardinals have been held to two runs of fewer in 15 of their 24 losses.
 
Scouting the Concordia Cobbers:
2019 Roster | 2019 Schedule | 2019 Statistics
• Concordia's doubleheader against Saint Mary's marks the home finale for the Cobbers, who are still searching for the first win on their home diamond this season (0-10). … The Cobbers put an end to a 14-game losing streak with their 11-1, Game 1 win over UM-Morris Thursday. The victory was Concordia's first in the month of April — and its first since beating Gustavus 3-1 in the opening game of their MIAC doubleheader on March 31. … Maria Pake and Kate Wensloff head into their home finale against Saint Mary's as the team's offensive leaders, hitting .404 and .329, respectively. … Along with her team-leading .404 batting average, Pake also leads the team in at-bats (109), runs (27), hits (44), doubles (17), RBIs (14), total bases (67), slugging percentage (.615), one-base percentage (.449), and stolen bases (15). … Concordia has amassed 220 hits this season, including 70 for extra bases — 57 doubles, three triples, and 10 home runs. … Nicole Johannes (.250), Riley Irman (.229), and Hannah Christian (.143) have accounted for CC's three triples, while Pake, Madison Kosteleck (.256), and Callie Ahlgren (.224) all share the team lead in home runs with two each. … Pake has recorded a team-leading 13 multiple-hit games, while Pake, Nicole Johannes, and Elizabeth Asp share the team lead with three multiple-RBI performances. … Asp enters the Saint Mary's doubleheader having hit safely in each of the Cobbers' last 10 games. … Megan Gavin has been the workhorse in the pitcher's circle for the Cobbers, throwing 142.2 of the team's 209.0 innings this season. Gavin has compiled a 9-14 record and 3.14 ERA in 27 appearances — including 22 starts. She has tossed 17 complete games and has struck out 144 batters. … Concordia has been outscored in all seven innings this season — including 51-28 in the first, 41-10 in the third, and 30-8 in the fourth. … The Cobbers have been held to two runs or less in 16 of their 25 losses — including 10 by shutout. On the flip side, Concordia has held its opponents under three runs in six of its nine wins. … The Cobbers are just 3-20 when their opponent scores the first run. … Concordia is unbeaten (7-0) when leading after six innings, but the Cobbers are winless (0-19) when trailing heading into the seventh inning.