ABOVE: Fairmont's Gabriella Leiding delivers a pitch against St. James in a Big South Conference softball game Thursday night in Fairmont.

FAIRMONT– The Fairmont Cardinals remain undefeated through the season’s first four games, defeating the St. James Saints 2-0 and 12-1 in a Big South Conference doubleheader Thursday.

“I think the first game, we knew they were throwing Laney Bowers and, so, we knew

that she’s very good,” said Fairmont head coach Cory Hainy. “She’s one of the best we’re going to see, so we were pretty focused. You know, it’s not like we hit her around, but, you know, we did just enough. We put some balls in play and made them play some defense. We got a couple of runs and did what we had to do. Then [in the] second game, I thought maybe we were a little flat coming out after that first big win, but then we kind of got it going and got the bats going.”

Gwyneth Schultz led the Cardinals in Game 1, going 1 for 2 with an RBI, while Haleigh Grotzinger went 1 for 2 and scored a run. Pitcher Brylee Miller gave up two hits and no runs and struck out six.

Game 2 was led by Gwyneth Schultz, who went 4 for 5, while Alexis Sundeen went 0 for 5 with three RBIs. Ilana Moeller went 2 for 4 with three RBIs, while Alexis Sundeen and Miller each added an RBI. Pitching in Game 2 was Gabriella Leiding, who struck out four, only giving up six hits and one run.

“Brylee’s our ace; she always does a great job,” said Hainy. “She was a little sharper today than she’d been in her first two outings, and that was really good and really kept them off balance. And then [Gabriella] hadn’t thrown a lot yet this year, and she did really well. Hit her spots and kept the ball on the ground and let the defense play and, you know, did a nice job for us.”

Miller got to work quickly in the top of the first inning, quickly popping up the leadoff hitter for the first out caught by Haleigh Grotzinger. A quick four-pitch strikeout put the second out on the board for the Cardinals and a ground ball to first closed the top of the inning.

After a strikeout to start the bottom of the first, Schultz stepped to the plate and looped one into left field for a double. Miller advanced Schultz to third with a single to right field. Despite having two on and one out, the Cardinals stranded two on base, closing the inning and keeping the game scoreless.

The Cardinals retired the side in the top of the second with two strikeouts, both swinging, with Miller throwing six consecutive strikes and a quick groundout. The pitching battle continued into the bottom of the inning as St. James pitcher Laney Bowers struck out the side.

Miller struck out the first batter faced in the third inning but walked the second. With one on base, the Saints attempted to lay down a bunt, but it popped up to a charging Miller, who connected with Makayla Lowry to end the inning with a double play.

Grotzinger was in the leadoff position for the Cardinals as they attempted to break the tie and laid down a bunt for a single. Makenzie Lowry followed with a bunt of her own, reaching on an error. While rounding third, a collision on the third baseline called for interference brought Grotzinger home for the first scored run of the night. A sacrifice bunt by Schultz brought in the second run before the Saints could get out of the inning.

Up 2-0, the Cardinals and Saints resumed the defensive battle. Only five more players got on base as Miller completed the shutout.

The second game of the night picked up right where Game 1 had left off. The Cardinals got a base runner early in the first, with Makayla Lowry sending a ground ball to third and reaching on an error. Miller followed with a ground ball to short, but another error by the Saints brought in the game’s first run. Miller scored on a wild pitch to put the Cardinals up 2-0 before the Saints could get the third out.

St. James managed to get two on base but could not capitalize before the Cardinals closed the inning with a lineout back to pitcher Gabriella Leiding. An uneventful second inning kept the score at 2-0.

In the top of the third inning, a leadoff single by Schultz gave Fairmont its first base runner before Miller drove a ball to right field, reaching on an error. The error bug continued to plague the Saints, as Schultz and Miller scored on an error by the Saints after Leiding grounded out courtesy of a fielder’s choice. In the bottom of the third, the Saints stranded a base runner but closed the inning with the Cardinals up 4-0.

A scoreless fourth inning kept the Fairmont lead at four at the top of the fifth inning. The Cardinals got on base quickly in the fifth inning, with Alexis Sundeen reaching on an error, followed by a Leiding walk, giving the Cardinals runners on first and second. Ilana Moeller drove a ball to center, bringing in two RBIs and landing on second base. The Saints were able to stall the Fairmont offense and get out of the inning, but the Cardinals retired the side in order up 6-0.

The Saints’ error troubles continued in the sixth inning as they gave up four runs to the Cardinals to make it 10-0. Bowers was able to score on an error in the bottom of the sixth to get the St. James offense going, but one run was all they could muster before the Cardinals were able to get the third out.

A leadoff double by Schultz in the top of the seventh set up an RBI triple to right field by Miller, regaining the 10-run lead for the Cardinals, which was up 11-1. The errors continued for St. James, allowing Miller to score before the Saints could get the third out.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Saints couldn’t get the offense going before the third out locked in the second win for Fairmont.

The Cardinals now 4-0, head to Blue Earth for a 5:30 p.m. game Tuesday.