WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team locked up a share of its fourth Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title, and, more importantly, the NCAA's automatic berth into next week's Division III regional tournament, with a sweep of Bethel Saturday afternoon at the SMU Field.

Lindsey Smith (Elma, Iowa) hit a two-run home run and Jill Hocking (Apple Valley, Minn.) added a solo shot as the Cardinals routed Bethel 9-0 in five innings in the opening game. SMU erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning in completing the sweep with its second straight 9-0, five-inning win.

The Cardinals finished the regular-season with a 20-2 MIAC record, tying them to St. Thomas for the league's top spot. SMU and St. Thomas split their doubleheader (St. Thomas winning 3-1, SMU winning 3-2), but the Cardinals earned the automatic playoff berth via the second tiebreaker — a better record vs. third-place Gustavus (SMU swept the Gusties, while St. Thomas split). SMU will find out late Sunday night or early Monday morning where they will be headed for the regional tournament.

Hocking got the Cardinals on the board in the first inning of Game 1 with an RBI double, scoring Ann Munzenmaier (Urbandale, Iowa) from second. SMU then tallied five runs in the second — highlighted by a two-run single from Munzenmaier and Hocking's solo home run — before closing out the scoring with three runs in the fifth, two coming on Smith's home run. Smith finished Game 1 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Munzenmaier and Hocking each went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Hocking and Missy Blaser (Austin, Minn.) combined on a two-hitter, with Hocking giving up a two-out single in the first, while Blaser surrendered a two-out single in the fourth.

In the second game, the Cardinals scored twice in the third ininng on RBI singles from Jennifer Meyer (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Hocking, then put the game away with their seven-run fourth. The first nine batters reached safely in the fourth inning — the first eight all hitting singles. Meyer led the Cardinals' 14-hit attack, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs and two runs scored. Munzenmaier, Hocking and Huegel all finished with two hits, with Hocking driving in a pair of runs.