WINONA, Minn. — When Nikki Fennern stepped off the plane in Los Angeles, Calif., Thursday morning, she was a 28-year-old, third-year head coach of the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team.

Four days later, Fennern must have felt like she'd aged at least 10 years.

Six games whose result was in jeopardy until the final out was recorded will do that to a person.

After needing a single run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 8-7 and a three-run fifth inning to break open a one-run game in a 5-0 decision over St. Rose in their first two games of their spring trip last Thursday, the Cardinals found themselves involved in two more nailbiters the following day.

The Cardinals scored a pair of first-inning runs and held off Bethany 3-1 in their first game, then suffered their first loss of the season, giving up a run in the bottom of the eighth inning in falling to Menlo College 3-2.

After rain washed out Day 3, it appeared like Fennern would finally get a reprieve from the nailbiting-syndrome on Sunday, as the Cardinals jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead against UW-Eau Claire in their sixth and final spring-trip game.

Unfortunately for Fennern, things aren't always as they appear, as UW-Eau Claire scored a single run in the bottom of the first and two more in the third to turn that 4-0 rout into a 4-3 heartstopper.

Thanks to the stellar pitching performance of Hanni Lohmann (Lake Elmo, Minn.), however, the Cardinals held on, beating the Blugolds 4-3 to finish their western swing with a 4-2 record.

"From a won-lost standpoint, I wouldn't say we were overly pleased — I think we all felt that the two games we lost were games we very easily could have won," said Fennern, whose team dropped a 3-2 decision to Tufts — giving up all three runs on a pair of Jumbo home runs — in its first game on Sunday. "But I think there were a lot of positives we can take away from these six games. We learned a lot about what this team is going to be all about this year."

One thing is certain — the potential for Fennern's blond hair to prematurely turn grey is great.

"With a young team like we have, we are going to be in a lot of dogfights this season — but I didn't think we would be in this many, this soon," admitted Fennern. "We've put this team into every possible situation in practice, but when you get into a game, every situation is a new experience."

Speaking of new experiences, the Cardinals participated in their first extra-inning game of the year against Menlo — a game decided by international rules, in which both teams start with a runner on second base.

As the visitor, SMU led off the eighth with Jennifer Gonerka (St. Paul, Minn.) on second. Jenny Schipp (North St. Paul, Minn.) sacrificed her to third and Krista Conway (Mendota Heights, Minn.) grounded out to the pitcher. Unfortunately, before Jen Gutterman (Shoreview, Minn.) could get to the plate, Gonerka was ruled out at third on an obscure rule that states that, once the ball is in the pitcher's circle, a runner must immediately return to the base.

Apparently, Gonerka didn't move fast back fast enough.

Menlo took advantage, scoring in the bottom of the inning on a one-out single by Jessica Courson.

"It's a tough way to lose, no question about that," Fennern said. "It's one of those judgment calls, and, unfortunately, we ended up on the wrong end of the call.

"Obviously, we felt we could be 6-0 right now, but to be 4-2 isn't all bad," continued Fennern. "When we hit the ball, we hit it hard. But we have yet to do it for an entire game. We had strong innings in all six of the games we've played so far — but we haven't been able to keep it up."

The team's finale vs. Eau Claire was a perfect example.

SMU scored all four of its first-inning runs with two out. Jackie Huegel (Alta Vista, Iowa) scored the first run on a fielder's choice, while Schiopdrove in the second with a bases-loaded infield single, and Annie Krizan (West Liberty, Iowa) added a two-run single to right to give SMU what appeared to be a commanding 4-0 advantage.

UW-Eau Claire got one run back in the bottom of the first, but it could have been a lot worse.

Of the first four batters Schipp faced in the bottom of the first, three of them walked and the other singled.

In came Lohmann, who induced a pair of pop outs and a strikeout to end the threat.

The Blugolds did tag Lohmann for a pair of runs in the third, but that was as close as they would get.

"Hanni did a great job," praised Fennern. "Getting out of that first inning allowing just the one run was huge."

Lohmann, who allowed just two runs on five hits in seven innings against the Blugolds, also pitched the first 5 1/3 innings of SMU's opener against Tufts.

And of the 80 pitches she threw against the Jumbos, only two of them she would like to have back.

Unfortunately, those two pitches accounted for all three Tufts runs as Katie Smith uncorked a two-run home run to give the Jumbos a 2-1 fifth-inning lead, then Julie Fox added a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth that sealed the 3-2 win.

"It was one of those games that we did everything right — except for those two pitches," said Fennern, whose team outhit Tufts 7-6, but could only manage solo runs in the second and fifth innings. "We had our chances in both games, we just didn't capitalize enough."