MANKATO, Minn. — The Saint Mary's softball team stayed unbeaten on Saturday (6-0), rolling to a 10-2 win over UW–La Crosse (0-1) and a 4-1 win over Concordia Wisconsin (0-2) where Kenzie Gatz and Makayla Steffes each picked up pitching wins.
SMU 10, UWL 2
The Cardinals pounded out 12 hits and drove in eight runs in another strong all-around performance. UW-La Crosse finished with six hits but couldn't keep pace after Saint Mary's jumped out early.
The tone was set right away in the first inning. Megan McGinnis drew a walk, Steffes and Peyton Berg followed with singles, and Abbie Stigler reached on a fielder's choice. Naleyah Bork delivered the big swing with a two-RBI single, and Gatz added another two-run single to cap a four-run opening frame and give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead.
Saint Mary's kept the pressure on in the second. Karli Zetah singled and aggressively worked around the bases then McGinnis grounded out to bring home the run. The Cardinals pushed the advantage to 6-0 heading into the third.
That's when the bats really broke things open. Stigler launched a home run to left, and pinch-hitter Michaela Duffy and Breonna Methner followed with singles. Rhiannon Carroll came off the bench and delivered a clutch two-RBI double to stretch the lead to 9-0.
The Eagles got on the board in the fourth with an RBI single but the Cardinals answered back, with Duffy eventually coming around to score and seal the 10-2 final.
In the circle, Gatz tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four. Bork added an inning of work, surrendering one earned run.
SMU 4, CUW 1
The Cardinals wasted no time setting the tone in game two. Steffes led off the game with a single, swiped second, and came around to score on a ground-rule double from Berg. Berg later crossed the plate on a Bork single, giving Saint Mary's a 2-1 edge after the opening frame.
From there, Steffes took control in the circle. She tossed a complete game, scattering four hits while striking out nine and allowing just one earned run. She also helped her own cause at the plate, finishing with two hits and a run scored.
The Cardinals added some breathing room in the fourth when Olivia Poulin, pinch running for Bork, came home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Zoe Fink to make it 3-1. An inning later, Gabrielle Grover, running for Berg, stole second and scored on Bork's second RBI single of the day, stretching the lead to 4-1.
Bork was a force in the lineup, collecting three hits and driving in two runs while reaching base in every plate appearance. Berg chipped in with her RBI double and a run scored as Saint Mary's continued to put pressure on the basepaths.
With timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and a dominant outing from Steffes, the Cardinals closed out the day with a 4-1 win and some early-season momentum.
The team will have a quick turnaround before their final games in the Dome tomorrow kicking off at 8:00 a.m. against Dominican.
