Softball 4/21/04 -- St. Mary's 8-8, Augsburg 0-0 (1st game 6 inn., 2nd game 5 inn.)

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

STORY FROM ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WINONA, Minn. (4/21/04) -- Hanni Lohmann was virtually untouchable Wednesday afternoon, as the Saint Mary's University pitcher allowed just one hit, an infield single in the fourth inning, as the Cardinal senior tossed her first collegiate one-hitter in SMU's 8-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball win over Augsburg College at the SMU Field. And she was just the day's second-best pitcher.

Jenny Schipp did her senior counterpart one better in the opener, tossing a six-inning perfect game --Â the first of her career --Â striking out a career-high 13 batters in the Cardinals' 8-0 Game 1 win.

"What can I say? Our pitchers were outstanding today," said SMU coach Nikki Fennern, whose team ran its winning streak to a season-high six straight with the back-to-back 8-0 wins. "It's not very often that you have a pitcher pitch a game like Hanni did, and be overshadowed by someone else. Both Jenny and Hanni pitched great games. They were in control the whole way."

St. Mary's is now 18-12 overall, 11-7 in MIAC play, while Augsburg drops to 9-22 overall, 5-12 in MIAC play. Augsburg has lost 12 of its last 15 games.

Schipp was untouchable in the opener, striking out the first six batters she faced, and 10 of the first 11. Augsburg put just five balls in play --Â a groundout to third to lead off the third, a groundout to second to end the fourth and fifth, and a popout to first to open the sixth and a groundout back to the pitcher to end the sixth -- Â and never had a ball even come close to falling in for a hit.

And, as tough an act as that was to follow, Lohmann came within inches of perfection, Part II. Lohmann wasn't as overpowering as Schipp, striking out just two, but the Auggies were just as baffled, going down in order in the first three innings, before Melissa Lee (Sr., Cannon Falls, Minn./Randolph HS) opened the fourth with a shot that bounced off Lohmann's glove and second baseman Krista Conway's throw was not in time to get the speedy Lee.

"We got great pitching, but we also played great defense, and did a nice job at the plate," said Fennern, whose team collected 20 hits in the doubleheader -- Â including Game 1 home runs from Schipp and Amy Lang, and a two-run Game 2 shot by Jenni Gutterman. "We were clicking on all cylinders today."

The Cardinals broke open a 2-0 game with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in the opener, with Lang opening things off with a solo home run. Amy Langer drove in another with a single to right, while Amy Edge and Gutterman delivered two-run doubles to account for the other four runs.

SMU scored in every inning but the second in Game 2, getting a pair of runs in the first, one in the third, two in the fourth and three in the fifth. Gutterman's two-run home run and Annie Krizan's RBI single -- her first collegiate hit -- accounted for the runs in SMU's game-ending three-run fifth.

Augsburg returns to action with a single game against St. Benedict on Thursday (4/22) at 4 p.m. in St. Joseph. The game was postponed from Tuesday.