WINONA, Minn. - There was plenty to celebrate at home on Saturday for the softball team. The Cardinals (25-3) not only remained undefeated in conference play with a sweep of the Bethel Royals (10-13)—winning 11-1 and 6-5—but also marked the return of the 2000 National Championship team and head coach John Tschida's 300th career win only at Saint Mary's, there is plenty more where that came from.

The community came out in full force tonight to welcome back several members of the historic 2000 National Championship team, honoring them in a special celebration following the games.

GAME ONE

Makayla Steffes delivered one of the best performances both as a pitcher and a hitter for the Cardinals. On the mound, she pitched four innings, allowing one earned run on six hits and striking out five batters. 

She also contributed offensively, scoring three runs, hitting two home runs, and driving in two runs. 

The offense was firing on all cylinders in game one, led by Naleya Bork, who went 2-for-3 with a triple, a home run, five RBIs, and two runs scored. Peyton Berg contributed with a strong performance at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Megan McGinnis also had a standout game, collecting two hits in three at-bats and crossing the plate twice.

It was a dominant opening for the Cardinals in the first inning. After Bethel hit a home run, the Cardinals responded with three runs of their own. Steffes homered to right field, followed by a triple from Bork that drove in McGinnis, and a double by Allison Ciero that brought Bork home, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead after the first.

In the second inning, the Cardinals continued their scoring momentum. Steffes hit her second homer of the game at her second at bat, adding another run. With bases loaded, Bork reached on an error by the second baseman, allowing two more runs to score, pushing the lead to 6-1.

The Cardinals offense surged in the third inning with five more runs. Breonna Methner doubled to score Alexandra Gerber, and Berg followed with a double that brought in two more runs. Bork capped the inning with a two-run homer to center field, extending the lead to 11-1.

The Cardinals defense held strong, preventing Bethel from scoring in the latter innings. The Cardinals secured an 11-1 victory over Bethel, with effective hitting and solid defense throughout the game.

GAME TWO

Rhiannon Carroll, that's it. Carroll came up big all game driving in three runs and hitting a home run in the crucial bottom of the seventh tying the game. On the mound, she pitched seven innings, allowing two earned runs and securing her first win with a 1-0 record. 

The Cardinals faced an early challenge as the Royals scored four runs in the first inning.

In the third inning, Saint Mary's responded with a solo home run by none other than Steffes to center field, cutting the deficit to 4-1. The team showed resilience, holding Bethel scoreless through the next four innings.

The Cardinals continued their comeback in the fifth inning. After a single by Abbie Stigler and a subsequent single by Gerber, Steffes brought in a run with a single to center. The inning ended with the Cardinals trailing 4-2.

This Cardinals team is resilient—give them the slightest opening, and they'll seize the moment and never look back.

That is just what they did down one in the seventh inning to take control of the game. After two walks, Carroll hit a three-run home run to center, to tie the game 5-5. Steffes followed with a single and stole second, setting up Berg for her second walk off of the season and she did just that. 

The Cardinals completed an amazing comeback in front of the best crowd to complete the celebratory day.

The teams weekend continues as they gear up for another doubleheader tomorrow at St. Olaf, wrapping up their eight-game week with a 1:00 p.m. start.