SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023: 9-13 Overall

UW-RIVER FALLS FALCONS

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2023: 12-8 Overall

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SMU-UWRF * LAST MEETING:

March 29, 2018 * Winona, MN

L, 10-9; W, 6-3 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

April 11, 2023 * Winona, MN

St. Olaf * L, 5-3; L, 9-3

UW-RIVER FALLS * LAST ACTION:

March 26, 2023 * Chicago, IL

North Park * W, 6-3; Loras * L, 9-1

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

April 15, 2023 * Winona, MN

St. Scholastica * 1 p.m./3 p.m.

UW-RIVER FALLS * UP NEXT: 

April 15, 2023 * River Falls, WI

UW-Stout * 1 p.m./3 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: Saint Mary’s heads into its nonconference doubleheader against UW-River Falls sitting at 9-13 overall, including 3-5 through its first eight MIAC contests.

• LAST TIME OUT: The Cardinals found themselves staring at early deficits in both of their MIAC games against St. Olaf on Tuesday at the Saint Mary’s Field — and the early holes were just too deep to climb out of. St. Olaf scored three runs in its first at-bat en route to a 5-3 win in Game 1, before erupting for six second-inning runs in rolling to a 9-3 victory in the nightcap.

• SPLITSVILLE: Saint Mary’s has split three of its first four conference doubleheaders — going 1-1 against Hamline (W, 4-3; L, 6-5), St. Catherine (L, 11-2; W, 7-2), and Carleton (L, 9-7; W, 2-0) — before falling twice to St. Olaf on Tuesday.

• NCAA FOES: The Cardinals have already faced four teams — Bethany Lutheran, Nebraska Wesleyan, Cabrini, and Alma — that played in the NCAA tournament a year ago.

• AT THE PLATE: As a team, Saint Mary’s is hitting .296 through 22 games, and boasts five regulars who are hitting above .300. … Heather Nordlund (Byron, Minn.) leads the way with a .390 batting average, followed by Peyton Berg (Chatfield, Minn. / .380), Savannah Swanson (Marengo, Ill. / .364), Naleya Bork (De Pere, Wis. / .344), and Abbie Stigler (Menomonie, Wis. / .302).

• RUNNING WILD: After scoring 183 runs in 33 games a year ago, Saint Mary’s has already plated 108 runs through 22 games this season. … Riley Hall (Dallas Center, Iowa) has scored a team-leading 23 times, while Bork (15), Allison Ciero (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / 14), and Stigler (11) have also reached double digits in runs scored. … SMU has had a player score three runs in a game three times this season.

• HIT PARADE: Nordlund has racked up a team-leading 23 hits, one more than Bork, while Ciero (20), Stigler (19), Berg (19), Hall (17), and Ali French (Winona, Minn. / 11) have also delivered more than 10 hits. … Nordlund has put together a team-leading seven multiple-hit games, while Bork and Ciero have posted six multiple-hit games. … Ali French (Winona, Minn.) owns the team’s only four-hit performance — going 4-for-4 in a season-opening 8-0 win over Crown on Feb. 18.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Fifty-seven of the Cardinals’ 178 hits through 22 games have been for extra bases — including 46 doubles, one triple and 11 home runs. … Bork (8) and Berg (6) lead the team in doubles, while Hall has hit SMU’s lone triple. … SMU belted six doubles among its eight Game 1 hits against Carleton last Saturday.

• GOING YARD: After delivering just five home runs a year ago, Saint Mary’s has already launched 11 round-trippers this season — including four in its last six games. Bork leads the team with three HRs, with Hall (2), Stigler (2), Nordlund, Cassie Sutor (Chicago, Ill.), French, and Jada Allen (Stevens Point, Wis.) owning the other seven. … The home runs by Bork, Nordlund, Stigler, Hall, Allen, and French were all collegiate firsts.

• DRIVING ‘EM IN: Nordlund, Bork, Berg, and Stigler have all reached double figures in RBIs through 22 games, with Nordlund leading the way with 16, one more than Bork, with Berg and Stigler chipping in 12 and 11 RBIs, respectively. … Nordlund and Bork have amassed a team-leading five multiple-RBI games, with Stigler, Ciero, Berg, and Sutor each owning two.

• STREAKING: Nordlund, Berg, Stigler, and Zoe Fink () have all put together five-game hitting streaks this season. … Hall has reached base safely in nine straight games.

• CAN’T CATCH ME: Saint Mary’s has posted 50 stolen bases in 62 attempts this season – led by Hall (14-for-14), Ciero (7-8), and Stigler (7-9). … SMU has gotten at least one stolen base from 12 different players.

• OUCH: Hall, who was hit by a pitch 12 times last season, has already been hit 11 times this season — putting her 10th among NCAA Division III players. … Hall was hit by three pitches against Rosemont on March 3, tied for the highest single-game total in NCAA Division in 2022.

• IN THE CIRCLE: Saint Mary’s has used five different pitchers this season, led by Sarah Kraus (Onalaska, Wis. / 2-6, 4.62 ERA) and Bork (3-6, 3.68 ERA), who have logged 60 2/3 and 57.0 innings, respectively. … Izzy Griffin (West St. Paul, Minn. / 1-1, 4.08 ERA, 12.0 IP), Sutor (1-0, 1.05 ERA, 6 2/3 IP), and Amy Gappa (Trempealeau, Wis. / 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 9 1/3 IP) have also seen time in the circle. … Kraus and Bork have each tossed four complete games, and both share the team lead with 13 appearances.

• A START TO REMEMBER: There were plenty of firsts for Griffin in her first collegiate pitching start against Carleton last Saturday. The sophomore collected her first collegiate win, tossing her first career complete game shutout in a 2-0 SMU victory.

• OTHER PITCHING FIRSTS: Bork picked up her first pitching win of the season against Bethany Lutheran n Feb. 18, allowing one run on four hits in four innings of a 5-1 Saint Mary’s win.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: Cardinal pitchers have combined to strike out 89 batters through 22 games, led by Kraus (41) and Bork (31). … Bork struck out a career-high 10 batters in the Cardinals’ 8-3 win over Houghton on Feb. 27. The 10 strikeouts were the most by a Cardinal pitcher since Amber Chow fanned 10 against Gustavus on April 17, 2021.

• WEEKLY HONORS: Heather Nordlund (Byron, Minn.) was named MIAC Player of the Week on March 6, after hitting .500 (10-for-20), with a double and a home run, in SMU’s eight spring trip games. It was the first weekly honor for the Cardinal sophomore.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: The Cardinals have outscored their first 18 opponents 108-101 — including 16-9 in the fourth inning, and 14-8 in the fifth. … SMU has scored 10 or more runs in a game twice, highlighted by a season-high 13-run effort in its 13-1, five-inning victory over North Central on Feb.18. … Saint Mary’s is 6-3 in games decided by five or more runs, but 2-6 in one- or two-run games. … The Cardinals have held their opponent to two runs or less in seven of their 10 wins. On the flip side, SMU is 1-6 when failing to plate more than two runs. … SMU used a season-high 21 players in Game 2 against St. Olaf on Tuesday, while 19 different Cardinals saw action in the opener against the Oles. … Saint Mary’s has scored four or more runs in an inning seven times this season. SMU scored a season-high eight runs in the first inning of its 13-1 win over North Central on Feb. 19.

UW-RIVER FALLS FALCONS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Falcons head into their home nonconference doubleheader against Saint Mary’s sporting a 12-8 overall record through the first 20 games of the 2023 season.

• LAST TIME OUT: Due to weather and poor field conditions, the Falcons have not played since March 26, when they split a pair of games in Chicago, Ill. The Falcons cruised to a 6-3 win over North Park, before dropping a 9-1, six-inning decision to Loras.

• COMING IN HOT: UW-River Falls is coming into its Saint Mary’s doubleheader having won three of its last four. The Falcons beat North Park 9-2 and 12-3 on March 25, before picking up their third straight win over NP and falling to Loras the following afternoon.

• HOME SWEET HOME: UW-River Falls’ DH against Saint Mary’s is the first of three straight home doubleheaders for the Falcons, who will face UW-Stevens Point on Friday and UW-Stout on April 15, before heading to Platteville, Wis., for a WIAC DH against UW-Platteville on April 22. 

• LEADING THE CHARGE: The Falcons are hitting .317 as a team, and boast six players who are hitting above .300. Keegan Piton leads the UW-River Falls offense, going 33-for-71 for a team-best .465 batting average. Lindsey Strom (.400), Jewel Waupekenay (.387), Johanna Breyen (.339), Kelly Aultman (.303), and Matti Renikow (.302) also sport batting averages above .300.

• ON THE RUN: Piton has scored a team-leading 22 runs through 20 games, and is one of four Falcons who have crossed home plate more than 10 times, being joined by Breyen (15), Renikow (11), and Aultman (10).

• HIT PARADE: UW-River Falls has collected 170 hits and has gotten at least one hit from every one of the 15 players who have at least one plate appearance. … Piton has posted nine multiple-hit games, two more than Waupekenay, and owns both of the Falcons’ four-hit games this season — going 4-for-4 against both Wisconsin Lutheran on March 13 and vs. Bowdoin four days later.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Forty-six of the Falcons’ 170 hits have been for extra bases, including 37 doubles, three triples, and six home runs. … Piton, Waupekenay, and Aultman all share the team lead with eight doubles each, while Breyen owns two of UW-RF’s three triples, with Piton collecting the other.

• BOMBS AWAY: Piton has accounted for half of UW-River Falls’ six home runs, launching three round-trippers, with Aultman belting two and Renikow smacking the other.

• DRIVING ‘EM IN: Fueled by her 33 hits, including 12 for extra bases, Piton has driven in a team-leading 20 runs. Aultman is second on the team with 17 RBIs, with Eleanor Hoge adding 12 and Waupekenay chipping in 11 RBIs. … UW-River Falls has had a player record at least two RBIs in a game 28 times this season, led by Piton with seven multiple-RBI games and Aultman with five.

• STREAKING ALONG: Breyen put together a season-high eight-game hitting streak earlier this year, but her current four-game hit streak, matched by Lindsey Strom, is the longest active hit streak. … Aultman has reached base safely in each of the Falcons’ last seven games.

• IN THE CIRCLE: UW-River Falls has used six different pitchers, and the staff has combined for a 4.01 ERA. … Maggie Wallin (4-3, 3.27 ERA) has logged a team-high 45.0 innings, and is one of four hurlers with at least 10.0 IP, being joined by Lindsey Duggan (3-1, 3.86 ERA, 29.0 IP), Morgan Stevenson (1-2, 4.03, 23 2/3 IP), and Savanna Trittelwitz (3-0, 2.19 ERA, 16.0 IP). … Wallin and Duggan have each made a team-high 10 appearances, with Wallin leading the staff with eight starts.

• COMPLETING WHAT THEY STARTED: Wallin has thrown a team-high three complete games, with Stevenson and Trittelwitz each going the distance twice and Duggan adding the team’s eighth complete game.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: UW-River Falls’ pitching staff has struck out 96 batters through 20 games, led by Wallin with 44 Ks. Duggan owns 21 strikeouts and Stevenson is third on the staff with 13.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: UW-River Falls has outscored its first 20 opponents 109-79, and has scored 10 or more runs five times — including a season-high 16-run outburst in routing UM-Morris 16-4 on March 3. On the flip side, UW-RF has allowed 10 runs twice — falling to Hiram 10-1 on March 10 and 10-3 to Springfield on March 17. … Along with its 16 runs, the Falcons also set season highs in at-bats (38), hits (19), RBIs (14). … UW-River Falls opened the season winning its first five contests, only to lose its next three in a row — it’s the only time this season the Falcons has lost more than two consecutive games.