WINONA, Minn. — After last Saturday's games against Augsburg, it appeared as though the Saint Mary's University baseball team was in dire need of some help — both offensively and defensively.

The Cardinals managed to score just two runs, and gave up 13, in dropping both ends of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Augsburg Saturday

Fortunately for the Cardinals, not everything is as it appears.

SMU erupted for a season-high 18 runs, and got a complete-game, nine-inning pitching performance from Joe Popek (Eagan, Minn.) in routing Viterbo 18-3 in a nonconference game Tuesday.

“It was a great game for us,” said SMU coach Nick Whaley, whose team snapped its two-game losing streak with the win. “We got out to a big lead early, and then never let up. We swung the bats well, and got a great pitching performance from Joe.”

Brady Knudsen (Racine, Wis.) led the Cardinals' 20-hit attack, belting five hits — including a pair of home runs and a double — in seven at-bats, while Ryan Majerus (St. Charles, Minn.), Mark Pederson (Lexington, Minn.) and Brandon Verbout (Rochester, Minn.) all added three hits.

SMU jumped out to a 5-0 first-inning lead, fueled by a two-run double from Dan Cosgrove (South St. Paul, Minn.), then added two runs in both the second and third, erupted for six runs in the fifth — when Knudsen and Verbout each belted three-run home runs — and closed out the scoring with single runs in the sixth, seventh and nine.

While the Cardinals were battering five V-Hawk pitchers for 20 hits — including nine for extra bases — Popek was virtually untouchable, allowing just eight hits, all singles, and two earned runs in tossing his first complete-game of the season.

“We’ve got a big weekend ahead of us, and a win like this is a good way to head into two tough conference doubleheaders,” said Whaley, whose team hosts Concordia (today) and St. Olaf (Sunday) in their final two conference twinbills. “Hopefully our bats can stay hot, and our pitching can continue to give us a chance.”