By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
CLERMONT, Fla. — There would be no third straight, 12-run offensive explosion for the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team Sunday — but there would be a fourth straight win.
 
The Cardinals, coming off back-to-back 12-run performances — including a 12-1 win over Alverno earlier in the day — closed out their spring trip schedule with a white-knuckle, 2-1 win over Wheaton (Mass.).
 
Saint Mary's got all of its run production in the bottom of the fifth inning. Mackenzie Carey (Prescott, Wis.) and Justine Schultz (Winona, Minn.) opened the frame with back-to-back one-out singles, and, after being sacrificed to second and third, Erin Sullivan (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) belted a two-run single to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
 
Wheaton trimmed the advantage to 2-1 with a run in the top of the seventh — and threatened to tie the game, putting runners on first and second with two outs, but Amber Chow (West St. Paul, Minn.) induced a fly-out to center to end the threat.
 
Carey led the Cardinals' eight-hit attack, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Schultz, Sullivan, Chow, Paige Gudmundson (Plainview, Minn.), Teesa Shafranski (Stevens Point, Wis.), and Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis.) all had one hit.
 
Chow picked up the complete-game win in the pitcher's circle, allowing just one run on five hits, while walking three and striking out three.
 
The Cardinals, who finished their 12-game Florida schedule with an 8-4 record, are now off until March 28-29, when they kick off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play — facing Hamline on the road on March 28, before hosting Macalester at the Saint Mary's Field the following afternoon.