Cardinals earn split with Tommies in MIAC opener

WINONA, Minn. — Jackie Huegel (Alta Vista, Iowa) went 2-for-3 — including her first home run of the season — and scored twice as the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team beat St. Thomas 3-2 in the second game to give the Cardinals a split with the Tommies in Wednesday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader.

The Tommies got a rode the four-hit pitching of Casey Curson in beating the Cardinals 3-1 in the first game.

After losing their fourth straight game in falling in Game 1, the Cardinals scored single runs in the first and second innings — the first run coming on an RBI single by Jill Hocking (Apple Valley, Minn.) and the second when Huegel scored on an error by Tommies' pitcher Stacy Tamble.

Huegel's solo home run to left in the fourth pushed the Cardinals' lead to 3-0, but the Tommies battled back, scoring once in the fifth and once in the sixth off SMU starter Jennifer Gonerka (St. Paul, Minn.), before Hocking came to pitch 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief to pick up the save — and snap SMU's longest losing streak since a four-game slide in 1996. Jennifer Miller (Winona, Minn.) went 1-for-3 to account for SMU's only other hit in Game 2.

The Cardinals scored first in the opening game as well as Huegel drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk, scoring Ann Munzenmaier (Urbandale, Iowa).

St. Thomas then got all three of its runs in the top of the fourth as the Tommies strung together five singles and a double to take the lead for good.

Lindsey Smith (Elma, Iowa) collected a pair of hits in three at-bats in the first game, while Munzenmaier and Niki Lynch (Winona, Minn.) accounted for the Cardinals' other two hits off Curson.