ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota fastpitch softball team went both ends of the spectrum to pick up a season-opening sweep of Wartburg Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cardinals erupted for 13 runs en route to a 13-1 victory over the Knights in the opener at the Rochester Dome, before riding the two-hit pitching of Ashley Betzold (Farmington, Minn.) to a 2-0 sweep-clinching win in the nightcap.
 
Kathi Opsahl (Elk River, Minn.) and Allie Borawski (Stickney, Ill.) swung the big bats for the Cardinals in Game 1, each driving in three runs—Borawski's coming a bases-clearing three-run double. The Cardinals erupted for five runs in the third inning, and iced the win with eight runs in the fifth. Betzold went the first four innings, allowing one run on two hits, beore giving way to Katie Homan (North Mankato, Minn.), who pitched a hitless fifth.
 
Opsahl was again the offensive sparkplug in the second game, as the sophomore went 2-for-3 and drove in both runs. Alex Raske (Chicago, Ill.) was a perfect 3-for-3, while Betzold picked up the complete-game, two-hit shutout.
 
The Cardinals (2-0 overall) are now off until March 1, when they kick off their 10-game spring trip with contests against Trine and Saint Vincent in Clermont, Fla.