MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University baseball team opened its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season in impressive fashion Monday afternoon, as the Cardinals routed Macalester 10-2 and 13-4.

Rob Kimlinger (Lake Elmo, Minn.) and Matt Domarus (Woodbury, Minn.) both hit home runs and drove in five runs as the Cardinals, who finished second to St. Olaf in last year's conference standings, sent an early message to the rest of the conference that they are a force to be reckon with.

Kimlinger left little doubt in the outcome of Game 1, as the sophomore betled a two-out grand slam — SMU's first home run of the season — in the top of the second inning to highlight the Cardinals' six-run outburst.

The Cardinals added two more runs in the third and one in the seventh en route to the first-game win. Speaking of firsts, Cory Kanz (Oronoco, Minn.) tossed SMU's first complete-game in the opener, allowing just two runs on six hits, while striking out six and walking one.

The Cardinals' bats continued to sizzle in Game 2, as SMU banged out a season-high 13 hits, including three by Dusty Wilhelmy (Mendota Heights, Minn.) — who went 3-for-4 and drove in five of SMU's 13 runs.

The Cardinals scored early in often in the nightcap, pushing across a solo run in the first, three in the third, two in the fourth and seven in the fifth — highlighted by Domarus' two-out, three-run home run.

Andy Ebert (Winona, Minn.) picked up the pitching win, going four innings and allowing just three earned runs. Chuck Wright (Winona, Minn.) tossed the final three innings, allowing one run on two hits.