ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — For the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team, Game 1 of its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Saint Benedict Saturday afternoon could be summed up in one word: Ouch.
 
The Bennies scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning — including the game-winner on a bases-loaded hit batsman — as CSB rallied from a 5-4 deficit to beat the Cardinals 6-5.
 
The Cardinals bounced back in the nightcap, thanks in large part to the bat of Peyton Berg (Chatfield, Minn.) — who recorded her second two-home run game of the season — as Saint Mary's earned the split with a 6-4 victory in the nightcap.
 
GAME 1: SAINT BENEDICT 6, SAINT MARY'S 5
The Cardinals put a pair of runners on with two outs in the top of the first inning, but came up empty. The Bennies, meanwhile, also put a pair of runners on with two outs in the bottom of the frame — and came up big, getting a two-run double by Bryn Carlstrom to jump out to a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Cardinals answered CSB's two-run first with a four-run third. Makayla Steffes (Winona, Minn.) opened the inning with a walk and moved to second on a single by Megan McGinnis (Appleton, Wis.). Peyton Berg (Chatfield, Minn.) delivered a one-out RBI single and McGinnis scored on a CSB fielding error to knot the game, 2-2. The Bennies' second error of the inning — an outfield error on an Emily Bonk (Hudson, Wis.) — plated to more SMU runs to give the Cardinals their first lead of the game, 4-2.
 
Saint Benedict got one run back in its half of the third, as Carlstrom once again came up with a clutch two-out hit, lacing an RBI single to left to cut the SMU lead to 4-3.
 
The Bennies had a golden opportunity to regain the lead in the fourth, loading the bases with two outs, but this time around, CSB would not get the two-out hit, as Steffes worked out of the jam by inducing Cat Smetana to ground out the first to end the threat.
 
Saint Mary's extended its lead to 5-3 in the fifth, putting runners on second and third — thanks to singles by Naleya Bork (De Pere, Wis.) and Berg, and a sacrifice bunt from Ali French (Winona, Minn.) — and Bonk lifting a sacrifice fly to center to easily score pinch-runner Karli Zetah (Goodhue, Minn.) from third.
 
With one swing of the bat in the fifth, the Bennies were once again within one, as Megan Erickson lifted a Steffes offering over the center field fence to make it a 5-4 game.
 
And the Bennies weren't finished, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh inning — taking advantage of two Cardinal errors, and plating the game-winning run on a two-out, bases-loaded hit batsman to secure the come-from-behind victory.
 
Berg finished with two hits in three at-bats to lead the way for SMU, which also got hits from McGinnis, Bork, and Bonk.
 
GAME 2: SAINT MARY'S 6, SAINT BENEDICT 4
If the Cardinals were still smarting following the heartbreaking way Game 1 ended, they certainly didn't spend long licking their wounds — erupting for three runs in the top of the first inning in the nightcap.
 
Steffes opened the Cardinal first with a double, and scored on a CSB throwing error. Bork drove in the second SMU run on an RBI groundout, and Berg launched fourth home run of the season — a solo bomb to center field — to give SMU a 3-0 cushion.
 
Saint Mary's lead climbed to 4-0 in the third — thanks to Berg's second home run of the game, a solo shot. It marked the second time this season the sophomore has launched two home runs in the same game.
 
Saint Benedict finally got to Saint Mary's starter Kenzie Gatz (Oswego, Ill.), turning a pair of singles and a Cardinal error into a solo run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the SMU lead to 4-1.
 
The Bennies made it a two-run game with their second one-run inning in the sixth, getting a solo home run from Kenzie Benson, but this time around, CSB's seventh-inning heroics fell short.
 
After SMU scored a pair of run in the top of the seventh to grab a 6-2 edge, the Bennies once again tried to pull off a final-inning comeback — and give SMU coach John Tschida a few extra gray hairs — scoring twice in their final at-bat, and putting the tying run on base with two outs.
 
That would be as close as SMU would get, however, as Steffes came on in relief of Gatz to get a game-ending flyout to center to earn the Cardinals the conference split.
 
Berg, Steffes, and Bork all had two hits for the Cardinals, while French, McGinnis and Bonk accounted for the other three. Gatz picked up the pitching win, allowing four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, with Steffes getting the final out for her third save.
 
The Cardinals (10-4 MIAC, 22-8 overall) are right back in action on Sunday, when they head to Moorhead, Minn., for a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader against Concordia.
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