By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
CLERMONT, Fla. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team has played just four games this season — and already a trend is forming.
 
One that might cause a little premature graying for the Cardinal coaching staff.
 
Three times in their four games this season, the final score has been a one-run decision — including both games on Monday.
 
Unfortunately for coach Jen Miller and the Cardinals — 4-3 winners over Regis earlier in the day — this time around, the end result wasn't as favorable, as Widener broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning in dealing Saint Mary's a 3-2 nonconference setback.
 
The Cardinals and Pride traded unearned, solo runs in the third, and Saint Mary's grabbed a 2-1 advantage with their second straight one-run inning in the fourth. Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis.) reached on an error and scored on Amber Chow's (West St. Paul, Minn.) run-scoring double.
 
Widener knotted the game with a single run in the fifth, and took the lead for good in the sixth, scoring its third unearned run of the afternoon.
 
Chow, Tara Nikolich (Chicago, Ill.), and Heidi Stewart (Burnsville, Minn.) accounted for the Cardinals' three hits, while Chow suffered the pitching loss, despite tossing a complete-game, four hitter. Chow walked two and stuck out four.
 
The Cardinals (2-2 overall) are now off until Wednesday, when they square off against Rose-Hulman (10 a.m. EST) and Lebanon Valley (12:15 p.m.) in Clermont, Fla.