MANKATO, Minn. – The Saint Mary's softball team wrapped up its opening weekend in dominant fashion, finishing a perfect 4-0. The Cardinals earned victories over Bethany Lutheran (3-1) and UW-River Falls (1-1) on Sunday and did not surrender a single run all day to close the weekend.

SMU 4, BLC 0

In game one, the Cardinals put together a complete performance Sunday, blanking Bethany Lutheran, 4-0, behind timely hitting and dominant work in the circle. The Cardinals tallied eight hits on the afternoon, including a pair of home runs, while holding the Vikings to five hits.

After four scoreless innings, Saint Mary's broke through in the fifth when Rhiannon Carroll crushed a solo home run to open the scoring. The Cardinals kept the momentum rolling in the sixth. Makayla Steffes connected on a home run of her own, and with key hits from Peyton Berg and Abbie Stigler, Saint Mary's added three more insurance runs to take control.

Steffes was just as sharp in the circle as she was at the plate, tossing over six innings with six strikeouts and no earned runs. Carroll finished with a home run, one RBI, and a run scored, while Gabrielle Grover swiped two bases with an RBI. 

Saint Mary's defense backed its pitching all game long, shutting down any Bethany Lutheran threats to secure the 4-0 victory.

SMU 10, UWRF 0 (5 Innings)

The Cardinals stayed unbeaten on Sunday with a commanding 10-0 win over the UW–River Falls (1-1) over five innings. The Cardinals pounded out eight hits, including two home runs and a double, while Kenzie Gatz was dominant in the circle, striking out six over four shutout innings. The Falcons collected six hits but stranded seven runners and were unable to break through.

Naleyah Bork led the offensive charge with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Peyton Berg added a solo blast and an RBI of her own, while Zoe Fink came off the bench to deliver a clutch two-run single. 

The Cardinals wasted little time getting on the board. Alexandra Gerber singled in the first and later scored on a Steffes base hit to give Saint Mary's the early edge. The game remained tight until the fourth inning, when the offense erupted. 

Steffes drew a walk and scored on an error, RBIs from Stigler and Carroll stretched the lead, and Fink's two-run single made it 6-0 heading into the fifth.

Saint Mary's put the finishing touches on the win in the fifth. Berg launched a solo homer, and Bork followed later in the inning with a towering three-run shot to seal the run-rule victory. The Cardinals' defense handled the rest, completing the 10-0 shutout.

The Cardinals will be back in Mankato next weekend for their first game slated for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21 against UW-La Crosse.