CLERMONT, Fla. — The Saint Mary's fastpitch softball team put together a seven-run sixth inning in Thursday's 12-3 victory over Rosemont — and Friday morning, the Cardinals were at it again.
Saint Mary's broke open a one-run game with six runs in the fifth inning and cruised to its third straight victory, a 9-3 win over Eastern in the teams' first-ever meeting.
It took both teams three innings to get things warmed up, before combining for five runs in the fourth. Eastern grabbed a brief 2-0 advantage with a pair of runs in the top half of the inning, only to have Saint Mary's put up three runs in its half of the frame.
Erin Sullivan (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Saint Mary's first run of the game, before
Sophie Cave (Maple Grove, Minn.) plated another on an RBI groundout and
Lizzy Baird (Wells, Minn.) laced a run-scoring single to right-center to give the Cardinals the lead for good, 3-2.
Allison Ciero (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) kicked off the Cardinals' six-run fifth, drawing a bases-loaded walk.
Riley Hall (Dallas Center, Iowa) followed with a two-run single and Ciero scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-2.
Cassie Sutor (Chicago, Ill.) drove in SMU's fifth run of the inning on a fielder's choice groundout, and Baird laced an RBI double to left to cap the inning.
Eastern would score a solo run in the top of the seventh, but that would be as close as it would get, as the Cardinals cruised to their third consecutive victory.
Hall led the Cardinals' eight-hit offensive attack, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Ciero and Baird chipped in two hits each, and
Mackenzie Carey (Prescott, Wis.) collected SMU's other hit.
Amelia Spilde (Brooklyn, Wis.) picked up the pitching win, allowing three runs on seven hits in four innings of relief.
Sarah Kraus (Onalaska, Wis.) tossed the first three innings, blanking Eastern on three hits.
Saint Mary's (5-4 overall) is right back in action on Friday, squaring off against Finlandia in a 12:45 p.m. EST nonconference game.
