NAPERVILLE, Ill. — One thing was certain Sunday afternoon — the Cardinals were going to win.
 
It was just a matter of which Cardinals.
 
Unfortunately for coach Saint Mary's coach Nick Winecke, it wasn't his.
 
The North Central Cardinals erupted for four seventh-inning runs, breaking a 1-1 deadlock and dealt the Saint Mary's Cardinals a 5-1 nonconference setback at Zimmerman Stadium.
 
SMU's Luke Gilbertson (Windom, Minn.) and North Central's Charlie Klemm dominated the game's early innings, with Gilbertson allowing just two hits, while Klemm was perfect, through the game's first four innings.
 
And then the Cardinal offenses — both of them — came to life.
 
Paul Beverly doubled to open the fifth for North Central, was sacrificed to third, and scored on a single through the right side by Justin Rios to break the scoreless deadlock, and give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
 
After managing just one hit off Klemm over the game's first five innings — a one-out single by Trevon VanEgtern (La Crosse, Wis.) in the fifth — Saint Mary's threatened in the sixth, getting back-to-back singles by Tyler O'Brien (Belle Plaine, Minn.) and Cameron Weber (Holmen, Wis.) to put runners on first and third. Klemm induced a pair of strikeouts to get the first two out of the inning, before walking Jack Arndt (Coon Rapids, Minn.) to load the bases. Klemm wiggled out of the jam, however, getting Ben Coons (Kimberly, Wis.) to ground out to shore to end the threat and preserve North Central's 1-0 advantage.
 
Saint Mary's threatened again in the seventh — and this time, the Cardinals cashed in.
 
Brandon Merfeld (La Crosse, Wis.) drew a two-out walk, stole second, and scored on O'Brien's RBI single to left to knot the game at 1-1. O'Brien's base hit not only scored Merfeld, but also chased Klemm. Reliever C.J. Jensik walked Weber — first batter he faced to put runners on first and second, but got Daniel Marxen (Maple Grove, Minn.) to ground out to escape any further damage.
 
The game did not stay tied for long, however, as North Central did Saint Mary's top of the seventh four better in the bottom of the inning, scoring four runs on three hits to regain control, 5-1.
 
After being set down in order in the eighth, Saint Mary's wasn't about to go down without fight in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with two out — thanks to a single by Merfeld and a walk to O'Brien — but North Central's third pitcher of the day, Nolan Shannon, got Weber to strike out swinging to end the threat, and the game.
 
O'Brien finished 2-for-4 with the lone RBI to account for two of Saint Mary's six hits, with Weber, VanEgtern, Bauman, and Merfeld accounting for the other four. Gilbertson took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings, before giving way to Justin Haugo (Springfield, Minn.), who allowed one run on one hit in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
 
The Cardinals (6-8 overall) are right back in action on Monday, heading to Carol Stream, Ill., for a pair of nonconference games against Wheaton (Ill.). First pitch in the doubleheader is slated for noon.
 
 
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