DECATUR, Ill. — The Saint Mary's baseball team (7-6) managed to squeeze in a pair of games in Illinois before a winter storm cut the weekend short. The Cardinals opened the day with a 4-2 loss to Dubuque (3-8) before bouncing back with a dominant 12-2 win over Marian (5-5) later Saturday.
SMU 2, DU 4
The Cardinals dropped a tightly contested 4–2 neutral-site matchup to Dubuque at Workman Baseball. Saint Mary's grabbed an early lead in the first inning but could not recover after the Spartans used a three-run fourth inning to take control.
Gavin Schulte paced the Cardinals offensively, collecting three hits, including a solo home run, while also swiping two bases. Ryan Csida added two hits, including a double, while Eric Stomberg struck out seven over four innings of work, allowing three earned runs.
Dubuque's decisive fourth inning began with an RBI double by Alex Esser before Josh Rogde followed with a two-run single, giving the Spartans a lead they would not relinquish.
Saint Mary's struck first when Schulte launched a solo homer in the opening inning. The Cardinals created additional chances throughout the game, including in the third when Schulte used his speed on the bases to advance to third, but they were unable to capitalize and left multiple runners stranded.
The Cardinals mounted a late push in the seventh when Josh Costello scored on a fielder's choice to trim the deficit to 4-2, but Saint Mary's left two runners on base in the final inning as Dubuque held on for the win.
SMU 12, MU 2
Saint Mary's rebounded in a big way in the second game, exploding for a season-high 15 hits in a commanding 12-2 victory over Marian.
The Cardinals wasted little time setting the tone, plating five runs in the first inning. They continued to apply pressure throughout the game, tallying two home runs and two triples while limiting Marian to four hits and two runs over eight innings.
Ryan Csida led the offensive charge with a triple, double, and home run, driving in four runs and scoring three times. Sam Knickerbocker also had a big day at the plate, collecting three hits and four RBIs while scoring twice. Alex Hanneman added a solo home run, and Joe Anderson contributed defensively with five assists in the field.
Saint Mary's built its early lead behind key hits from Knickerbocker, who delivered a two-RBI single to center, and Csida, whose double down the left-field line plated two more runs. Daniel Sherman added an RBI single to cap the five-run first.
The Cardinals extended their advantage in the seventh with a four-run outburst. Csida sparked the inning with a two-run homer to center before Hanneman followed with a solo shot. Stephen Golden later tripled and came home on an RBI single from Sherman to close out the rally.
Marian scored runs in the fourth and seventh innings, but a sharp double play in the eighth ended its final scoring opportunity. Saint Mary's also made the most of free bases, with Gavin Schulte and Golden drawing walks, while Drew Rothenberger added a stolen base in the eighth.
The Cardinals return home next weekend for their home opener, hosting UW-Superior for doubleheaders on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. each day.
