LA CROSSE, Wis. — The No. 3 Saint Mary's softball team saw its 17-game winning streak snapped Wednesday afternoon, but responded in dominant fashion to earn a split in its final nonconference tune-up against UW–La Crosse.
The Cardinals, who defeated the Eagles 10-2 earlier this season at the Rochester Dome, closed out the day by showcasing both resilience and firepower.
GAME 1 (9 Innings)
UWL 1, SMU 0
In a tightly contested pitcher's duel, Saint Mary's was held scoreless for the first time this season, managing just two hits across nine innings.
Both teams battled through a scoreless stalemate, with neither side able to generate consistent offense. The Cardinals didn't record their first hit until the seventh inning, when Peyton Berg broke through with a single.
The game remained deadlocked into the ninth, where UW–La Crosse put pressure on with two runners aboard. A strategic decision to load the bases set up a force at any base, but the Eagles capitalized, drawing a walk to bring in the game-winning run.
GAME 2
SMU 4, UWL 0
Saint Mary's wasted no time responding in the nightcap, using the game-one loss as fuel for a decisive bounce-back performance.
Erin Parker sparked the offense immediately with a bunt single on the opening pitch, and Peyton Berg followed by driving her in to give the Cardinals an early lead.
The momentum continued as Brianna Nusbaum reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and later scored on an Alexandra Gerber single. Emily Bonk added to the rally after drawing a walk, eventually crossing the plate on a Samya Brown RBI single to make it 3-0 after two innings.
The Cardinals continued to apply pressure, adding another run in the fourth on an RBI single from Naleyah to extend the lead.
Kenzie Gatz was dominant in the circle, tossing her ninth shutout of the season. The right-hander improved to 14-0, allowing no runs while striking out four.
Saint Mary's now turns its focus back to conference play, traveling to Saint Benedict on Saturday, April 25 for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
