Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Returning back to the MIAC Baseball Playoffs Tournament for the first time since the 2024 season, the program's 11th appearance, the Saint Mary's baseball team (25-15, 12-8 MIAC) was ready more than ever. The team opened the tournament taking down the top seeded Bethel Royals (29-9, 17-3 MIAC) 8-6 in an extra-inning come from behind thriller at CHS Field.

It was a game for the ages!

SMU 8, BU 6

Being the underdog, the Cardinals had nothing to lose. 

The team displayed some of their best baseball, despite not scoring until the fifth inning. The Cardinals kept getting great chances to get on the board, leaving two left on base both in the first, second, and third innings, yet never broke through. 

The Royals struck first and had what seemed to be crucial back-to-back home runs in the second inning before scoring two more to extend their lead 4-0 through the third.  

Gavan Schulte led off the fifth inning with a single and was brought home by Sam Knickerbocker to cut the deficit to three. The Cardinals continued to hold the Royals to the early four runs for the next four innings.

Reese Berg allowed the Cardinals to creep back into the game with a leadoff single before stealing second. An RBI single from Rheis Johnson brought the Cardinals within two after the sixth.

It was a different ballgame come the eighth inning. A leadoff solo home run for Daniel Sherman, his third career and first of the season, gave the Cardinals all the juice they could ask for trailing by one. Josh Costello got on base before stealing second and being brought home by an RBI double from Berg to take their first lead of the day 5-4.

The Cardinals added to their lead, making it 6-4 at the top of the ninth with a solo blast from Alex Hanneman for just his second career home run. The Cardinals were gearing up for the upset.

Then, a whirlwind of a ninth inning.

The Cardinals needed just three outs to secure the win when an error allowed a Royal a free base. Then a two run homerun killed the Cardinals mood before a long discussion between the umpires overturned the call.

Just as the Cardinals brushed the relief away, the overturned call did not matter and a home run tied the game anyways. Into extra innings they went.

The winning run was at third in the bottom of the 10th inning before a strikeout by Brady Patten pushed the Cardinals to another inning. 

A leadoff single by Hanneman and a stolen base gave the Cardinals early life in the critical inning. Costello's perfect sacrifice fly to center allowed Hanneman to score the leading run. A double to the warning track from Jack Anderson allowed Anderson to score when Dom Najacht reached on an error.

Just three more outs.

There was no better way then to end the game than with a double play for the Cardinals. The Cardinals 41 double plays rank seventh in the country across division three baseball.

The Cardinals 8-6 lead was all they needed to take down the Royals!

Patten picked up the win for the Cardinals for his second win of the season. The Cardinals tallied 15 hits to tie their season best total and improve their conference playoff record to 10-16 in the postseason. 

Costello and Sherman lead the offense. Sherman went 3-for-4 at the plate while Costello went 3-for-six, an RBI for each.

The Cardinals will await the winner of the Macalster and Saint John's matchup set for this evening and get some rest to continue their run before their 3:00 p.m. matchup tomorrow.