WINONA, Minn. — After erupting for 10 runs in each game of its conference split against St. Scholastica on Thursday, the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team managed just 10 runs — combined — in its two games against Augsburg on Saturday.
 
And 10 runs was more than enough to garner the Cardinals a key Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of the visiting Auggies.
 
Saint Mary's erupted for four runs in the second inning, breaking a 1-1 tie, as the Cardinals cruised to a 6-1, Game 1 victory. In the nightcap, the Cardinals literally walked their way to a sweep-clinching win — scoring three times in the bottom of the first inning without the benefit of a hit and adding the game-winning run on an RBI groundout in the sixth — in collecting a 4-3 victory.
 
GAME 1: OFF AND RUNNING
 
Augsburg jumped on Cardinal starter Sarah Kraus (Onalaska, Wis.) early, scoring a solo run in the top of the first, only to have Saint Mary's answer in its half of opening frame. Allison Ciero (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) kicked things off for SMU, lacing a lead-off triple and scored two outs later on a wild pitch to knot the game at 1-1.
 
Saint Mary's took advantage of the Cardinals' second triple of the game — this one a one-out shot off the bat of Amy Kulaga (Riverside, Ill.) — as Madison Kindler (Sussex, Wis.) delivered a sacrifice fly to put SMU in the lead, 2-1.
 
And the Cardinals were just getting warmed up.
 
Back-to-back walks to Kraus and Ciero, and, after a wild pitch by Auggie hurler Olivia O'Conner moved the duo to second and third, Sophie Cave (Maplewood, Minn.) drilled a two-run single to center. Riley Hall (Dallas Center, Iowa) followed with an RBI single — and Saint Mary's was in complete control, boasting a commanding 5-1 advantage.
 
The Cardinals tacked on another run in the fifth, getting a lead-off, four-pitch walk to Hall, who promptly stole second, and scored on a Heather Nordlund (Byron, Minn.) single.
 
And a five-run cushion was more than enough with Kraus in the pitcher's circle, as the freshman twirled a complete-game, four-hitter. Ciero and Nordlund finished with two hits to lead SMU's eight-hit attack, with Cave, Hall, Kulaga, and Mackenzie Carey (Prescott, Wis.) accounting for the other four.
 
GAME 2: WALKING THEIR WAY TO VICTORY
 
For the second straight game, the Auggies struck first in the nightcap, plating a pair of runs in their first at-bat — and, once again, the Cardinals answered.
 
Saint Mary's scored its first two runs of the game without the benefit of a hit. The Cardinals loaded the bases on a lead-off walk to Ciero, while Cave and Hall were both hit by Auggie pitcher Brynn Hostettler offerings. Nordlund, Erin Sullivan (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.), and Carey followed with back-to-back-to-back, bases-loaded walks to give Saint Mary's a 3-2 lead.
 
The Cardinals once again loaded the bases in the second inning – thanks to two more walks sandwiched around Hall getting hit by a pitch for the second consecutive inning — but this time around, Auggie reliever Libby Moore wiggled out of the jam to keep it a one-run game.
 
After coming up empty in the second, third, and fourth, Augsburg manufactured a game-tying run in the top of the fifth, getting a two-out, RBI double off the bat of Meredith Taylor to knot the game at 3-3.
 
Saint Mary's appeared to be in perfect position to regain in the lead in the bottom of the fifth, getting singles by Carey and Ciero, and a walk to pinch-hitter Emma Kral (Emmetsburg, Iowa), only to have Moore escape the bases-loaded jam unscathed, striking out Cave to keep the game deadlocked at 3-3.
 
After scoring all three first-inning runs without a hit, it was a clutch, lead-off double — and a pair of ground-ball outs — in the bottom of the sixth that gave the Cardinals the lead for good.
 
Hall kick-started the Cardinals' game-winning rally, lacing a double to deep center, moved to third on a Nordlund's come-backer to Moore, and scored on Sullivan's groundout to first. Kraus then set the Auggies down in order in the top of the seventh to secure her second straight win — and the Cardinals' sweep.
 
Ciero collected two of Saint Mary's five Game 2 hits, going 2-for-2, while Hall, Carey, and Kraus recorded SMU's other three hits. Kraus, who came on in relief of Amelia Spilde (Brooklyn, Wis.) in the first inning, allowed one run on nine hits in seven innings of relief.
 
The Cardinals (8-9 MIAC, 15-13 overall) are right back in action on Sunday, when they welcome Gustavus to the Saint Mary's Field for a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader.
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