DAVENPORT, Fla. — For the third straight game, the Saint Mary's University baseball team found themselves in dire need of a late-game rally in its nonconference matchup against Dominican.
 
Unlike Sunday, however — when the Cardinals erupted for a pair of five-run sixth innings in rallying to sweep Illinois College, 5-2 and 10-5 — this time around, the late-game fireworks were too little, too late.
 
The Stars raced out to a 6-1 lead after six and traded three-run ninth innings with SMU in dealing the Cardinals their first loss of the spring trip, 9-5.
 
Saint Mary's came out swinging, collecting three first-inning hits — including an RBI double by Ryan Csida (Kimberly, Wis.) — to grab a 1-0 lead after the teams' first at-bats.
 
The Cardinals' bats fell silent over the next five innings, while the Stars' lumber was just getting warmed up.
 
Dominican erupted for four runs in the top of the fourth and added two more in the sixth in building a commanding 6-1 advantage.
 
Saint Mary's got one run back in the bottom of the seventh when Alex Hanneman (Appleton, Wis.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, but the Stars would extend their lead back to seven, 9-2, on a bases-clearing three-run double by Zach Helein — giving the sophomore XXX.
 
The Cardinals threatened in their half of the ninth, with Hanneman lacing a two-run single to left and Brinton Anderson (Pulaski, Wis.) adding a two-out, pinch-hit RBI double. That would be where the SMU rally would stall, as Dominican reliever Joey Haslam induced Cameron Weber (Holmen, Wis.) to fly out to right to end the game.
 
Riley Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) finished a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored, while Mason Coyle (Madison, Wis.) chipped in a pair of hits in two at-bats, and Hanneman delivered three RBIs.
 
The Cardinals (3-2 overall) are back in action on Tuesday, when they take the field against Marian in a nine-inning nonconference game. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.
 
 
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