MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — There were runs aplenty in the first two innings of the Saint Mary's University baseball team's Game 1 matchup against Augsburg Tuesday evening.
In fact, after just two innings, the two teams had already combined for eight runs.
And, over the game's final five innings, the two teams had still combined for eight runs.
Saint Mary's scored twice in the first and three times in the second, and survived a three-run Augsburg first, as the Cardinals beat the Auggies 5-3 in the opener of their nonconference doubleheader at US Bank Stadium.
It was more of the same in the nightcap — five scoreless innings, and six runs scored in the other two.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it was Augsburg that had the bigger inning this time around.
The Auggies banged out four runs on four hits in the top of the sixth inning, erasing a 2-0 Saint Mary's lead — a lead SMU had held since the bottom of the first inning — en route to a 4-2 win and a split of the twinbill.
The Cardinals came out swinging in the opener, getting back-to-back one-out singles by
Taylor Anderson (Waukesha, Wis.) and
Justin Weinberg (Eagan, Minn.), and a two-out, two-run single by
Andy Tepp (Stevens Point, Wis.) gave Saint Mary's a 2-0 lead in its first trip to the plate.
The lead didn't even last three outs, however, as Augsburg answered the Cardinals' two-run top of the first with three runs in the bottom of the inning on a Steven Salz three-run home run to give Augsburg a 3-2 advantage.
And the lead once again lasted less than three innings.
Tyler O'Brien (Belle Plaine, Minn.) and Anderson laced back-to-back one-out singles, and one out later,
Will Matthews (Geneva, Ill.) belted an RBI single to plate Saint Mary's third run of the inning and give the Cardinals a 5-3 lead.
A lead Saint Mary's pitchers
Jake Mercado (Belle Plaine, Minn.) and
Addison Hochevar (Lake Geneva, Wis.) would make stand up, as the Cardinal pair limited the Auggies to just two hits over the game's final six innings in helping Saint Mary's extend its season-opening winning streak to four.
O'Brien, Anderson, and Matthews all finished with two hits to pace the Cardinals' 10-hit Game 1 attack, while Tepp drove in two runs, and Matthews, Anderson, and O'Brien added the other three RBIs.
After ending Game 1 with five straight scoreless innings, the Cardinals came out swinging again in the nightcap — jumping on Augsburg starter Matthew Nicklay for a pair of runs in their first at-bat. O'Brien was hit by a pitch to lead-off the inning, moved to third on Weinberg's one-out double, and both scored on a Matthews single up the middle.
After holding the Auggies to 10 straight scoreless innings, Augsburg busted loose in the top of the sixth, scoring four times — all with two outs. Jack Baumgart delivered a two -run single and Connor Stork laced a triple to right-center to plate two more runs and give Augsburg a 4-2 lead.
Saint Mary's threatened in the bottom of the seventh, getting a lead-off single from
Cameron Weber (Holmen, Wis.). Pinch-hitter
Daniel Marxen (Maple Grove, Minn.) was then hit by a pitch and Weber and pinch-runner
Zach Drake (Westby, Wis.) advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by
Joey Costello (Victoria, Minn.).
Unfortunately, that's where they would stay, as Augsburg reliever Matt Moe got a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat — and end the Cardinals' season-opening four-game winning streak.
Weinberg accounted for three of the Cardinals' six hits in the nightcap, going 3-for-3, while Matthews, Weber, and Costello had the other three hits.
Jordan Zabel (Elgin, Minn.) pitched a near-perfect 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, while striking out five in his first collegiate start.
The Cardinals (4-1 overall) are back in action on Saturday, squaring off against Luther a single, nine-inning nonconference game at Max Molock Field.
