MANKATO, Minn. - The Saint Mary's softball season kicked off today with a weekend double-header at the Maverick Dome in Mankato. The team made a strong debut, winning 4-2 against Northwestern and 5-2 against host school Bethany Lutheran, starting the season with a 2-0 record.
 
NORTHWESTERN
 
The Cardinals wasted no time jumping ahead in the first inning, scoring two runs to take an early 2-0 lead. Megan McGinnis was the first to score, reaching base with a single, stealing second, and then being brought home by an RBI from teammate Peyton Berg. Ali French also made her way around the bases after drawing a walk.
 
The Cardinals kept up the pressure, holding their opponents scoreless once again in the second inning while adding another run. Makayla Steffes led off with a single to center, then showcased her speed by stealing second. Her teammate Megan McGinnis drove her in, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
 
The Cardinals extended their scoring streak to three consecutive innings when Heather Nordlund singled to left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Next, Naleyah Bork followed with a strong hit, turning it into a double that brought Nordlund home, increasing the lead to 4-0.
 
Saint Mary's defense remained solid, holding their opponents scoreless until the fifth inning, when two solid scores were  allowed due to a team error and unreachable hit — the only one of the game.
 
The Cardinals successfully held off Northwestern, securing their first win of the season. Steffes recorded her first win of the season at the mound.
 
BETHANY LUTHERAN
 
In the first and second at-bats of the game, Steffes picked up a single and then stole second, with McGinnis waiting on deck. McGinnis followed with a double to right field, bringing Steffes home for the first run of the game.
 
After two batters were walked, Alexandra Gerber hit a ground ball to third, forcing the Vikings to make a decision. They made the play, but it allowed another run to score, extending the lead to 2-0 by the end of the second inning.
 
The Cardinals' offense heated up in the fourth inning. Lizzie Pike kicked things off with a double, then stole third. Alexandra Gerber took advantage of a Vikings error, reaching base. With two runners on, the Cardinals were back to the top of the order. Steffes then hit her first triple of the season, driving in two runs to extend the lead. She capped off the inning by stealing home on a wild pitch, marking her third steal of the day.
 
The Cardinals allowed runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, similar to game one, but their lead remained solid enough to finish the weekend series with a 2-0 start.
 
Bork earned her first win of the season on the mound.
 
The Cardinals return to the Dome tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. taking on Crown College and then a tough Nebraska Wesleyan team at 10:30 a.m.