WINONA, Minn. — After managing just one run in 15 innings in dropping back-to-back decisions to Macalester last Saturday, the Saint Mary's University baseball team cranked up the offensive heat Tuesday.
 
To the tune of 15 runs on 19 hits — which added up to a key, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Hamline.
 
The Cardinals rallied from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Pipers 6-4 in the opener Tuesday, before erupting for seven runs in the fourth inning and rolling to a sweep-clinching 9-1 victory in the nightcap at Max Molock Field.
 
GAME 1: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
 
After spotting the Pipers a 4-0 lead — and stranding five base runners through the game's first four innings — the Cardinals' offense got things rolling in the bottom of the fifth, loading the base on back-to-back-to-back singles by Tanner Bauman (Willmar, Minn.), Brandon Merfeld (La Crosse, Wis.), and Trevon VanEgtern (La Crosse, Wis.) to lead off the inning.
 
Daniel Marxen (Maple Grove, Minn.) pushed across Saint Mary's first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to center, and Tyler O'Brien (Belle Plaine, Minn.) followed with a two-run single — scoring both Merfeld and VanEgtern — to pull Saint Mary's within one, 4-3.
 
Singles by Ben Coons (Kimberly, Minn.) and Bauman, and a walk to Merfeld, and the Cardinals once again filled the bases in the bottom of the sixth.
 
And for the second straight inning, Saint Mary's came through in the clutch, getting an RBI single from VanEgtern and a two-run, two-out base hit by Marxen to complete the Cardinals' second straight three-run inning.
 
Hamline threatened in the top of the seventh inning, putting runners on second and third with two out, but Cardinal reliever Andrew Fischer (La Crosse, Wis.) entered and promptly stuck out Piper pinch-hitter Finn Melchior to seal the 6-4 win.
 
VanEgtern was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Coons and Bauman each chipped in two hits. Timmy Smith (South St. Paul, Minn.) earned the pitching win, blanking the Pipers on one hit in 1 2/3 innings of relief, while Fischer moved into a tie for the team lead in saves with four.
 
GAME 2: THROWING UP A SEVEN-SPOT
 
The Cardinals didn't wait until the fifth inning to get their offense cranked up in the nightcap, doing most of their damage in the fourth frame this time around.
 
Saint Mary's erupted for seven runs in its half of the fourth inning — taking advantage of two Piper throwing errors, a bases-loaded walk, and two, run-scoring wild pitches — to take complete control, 7-0.
 
Hamline foiled the Cardinals' shutout bid with a solo run in the top of the fifth, but Saint Mary's quickly answered in the bottom of the inning, getting an RBI single from Bauman to score Mason Coyle (Madison, Wis.).
 
Saint Mary's would round out the scoring with another one-run inning in the sixth on a Marxen sacrifice fly, and reliever Justin Haugo (Springfield, Minn.) blanked the Pipers on three hits over the final four innings to preserve the win.
 
Weber, Marxen and Cameron Miller (Holmen, Wis.) all had two hits to account for six of SMU's nine hits — all of which were singles. Jake Mercado (Belle Plaine, Minn.) earned the win on the mound, going the first five innings, allowing one run on three hits, while striking out three and not walking a batter.
 
The Cardinals (6-4 MIAC, 12-12 overall) are back in action on Thursday, when they welcome Augsburg to Max Molock Field for a 2:30 p.m. conference doubleheader.
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