MANKATO, Minn. - The hitters got it done! The Saint Mary's softball team (4-0) is heading home victorious from their weekend double-header in Mankato, maintaining their undefeated record after delivering an impressive hitting performance on Sunday morning.
 
The Cardinals won big against Crown College (0-1)16-3 and turned around and beat Nebraska Wesleyan (2-1) 8-2.
 
CROWN
 
The Cardinals scored 16 runs on 16 hits in a dominant first game victory. Megan McGinnis paved the way with three RBIs, while nine different Cardinals each contributed with an RBI in a strong team effort.
 
The Cardinals were the first to score, with Makayla Steffes crossing the plate in the first inning due to a Crown error. However, it was the 10-run inning in the second that put the game out of reach early.
 
Lizzie Pike started things off with a single and stole second, followed by a throwing error that put Abbie Stigler on base. Alexandra Gerber's RBI single scored Pike. McGinnis then doubled for three RBIs, bringing in Steffes, Gerber, and Stigler!
 
Peyton Berg and Zoe Fink kept the momentum going with singles, while Emily Bonk tripled in two more runs. Stigler's single brought in another run, and Breonna Methner's double scored two unearned runs, capping off the 10-run inning. 
 
The Cardinals continued their offensive onslaught. 
 
Berg and Fink singled to advance the runners, and both moved up on wild pitches to start the third inning. After Gabrielle Grover was walked, Samya Brown grounded out to second, bringing in Berg for a run. Jacqueline Avilez then singled to center, driving in two more runs with Grover and Fink scoring. 
 
The team was up 14-0 heading into the fourth.
 
The Cardinals allowed two runs in the fourth inning, which helped the Polars narrow the gap slightly. However, the lead was too much, and the Cardinals finished the game early with a 10-run rule victory.
 
Kenzie Gatz earned her first win of the season on the mound.
 
NEBRASKA WESLEYAN
 
The Cardinals aimed to replicate their dominant performance from the first game, and they certainly delivered. 
 
The first score of the game came with a single hit in the second inning. Bork walked, and Pike pinch-ran for her. Bonk grounded out to third, advancing Pike to second. Stigler was up and doubled to left center, driving in Pike for the first run and the lead.
 
The team's defense remained solid, recording a quick three-up, three-down inning to return to their at-bats.
 
The third inning was a busy one for Saint Mary's, as the team added three runs to extend their lead to 4-0. Steffes led off with a double to left center, then advanced to third on a McGinnis ground out. Berg followed with a two-run homer to right center, her first of the year, bringing Steffes in. French reached base on a throwing error, and Allison Ciero pinch-ran for her. Pike then doubled to center field, and although she was thrown out at second, Ciero crossed the plate, scoring an unearned run!
 
The Prairie Wolves hit a home run in the fourth inning to score two runs, but the Cardinals responded by adding one run, taking advantage of two errors by the Wolves.
 
The Cardinals continued to build on their lead, adding a run in each of the final three innings to secure an 8-2 victory with a Steffes in at the mound, her second of the year, with 14 hits without a single error, finishing the weekend with a perfect 4-0 record.
 
The Cardinals return to the Maverick Dome on Saturday, February 22nd taking on Buena Vista for a 3:30 p.m. game followed by an 8:30 p.m. game against Minnesota Morris!