Greencastle, Ind. - Third-seed Saint Mary's (Minn.) scored five runs in the sixth inning to break open a tie game on the way to a 7-3 win over second-seed DePauw on the first day of the NCAA Division III Softball Championships's Greencastle Regional. Links to opening day press conferences and the remaining schedule are available through the host site.

The Cardinals improved to 32-9 and face top-seed Coe in tomorrow's 11 a.m. game after the Kohawks topped Baldwin Wallace, 4-2, in today's first game. DePauw dropped to 28-15-1 and faces Baldwin Wallace tomorrow in a 1:30 p.m. elimination game.

Saint Mary's took a 1-0 lead in the first as Makayla Steffes led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Megan McGinnis drew a walk before Naleyah Bork reached on an error. Peyton Berg then drew a walk which allowed Steffes to score.

Lizzie Pike's solo homer to left center in the fourth pushed the Cardinals' lead to 2-0.

DePauw evened the score in the bottom of the fourth as Emily Timberman walked and pinch-runner Macey Cox moved to second on Alex Romero-Salas' single. Ella Ohrvall's sacrifice bunt allowed Cox and pinch-runner Angelese Cruz to each advance a base. Riley Heim then delivered a double down the left field line that plated Cox and Cruz and evened the score at 2-2.

The score remained tied until the top of the sixth as Berg led off with a single and pinch-hitter Allison Ciero reached when the Tigers were late in trying to get a force at second on Ciero's grounder. Ali French then reached when the Tigers again tried to get the force at third on her bunt.

Emily Bonk drew a walk which scored Karli Zetah who was a pinch-runner for Berg. Pike's single brought home two more to make it 5-2. McGinnis later delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 7-2.

Romero-Salas hit a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth and the Tigers put two on base in the sixth and another two in the seventh, but couldn't push home another run.

Romero-Salas and Kuenster each had two of DePauw's eight hits, while Berg and Pike each had two of the Cardinals' seven hits.

Romero-Salas dropped to 12-6 with the loss in relief of Riley Depa and Naleyah Bork improved to 7-2 as she relieved Steffes. Kenzie Gatz collected her first save.

In the first game of the regional, Baldwin Wallace took a 1-0 lead in the second, but Coe scored all four of its runs in the fifth. The Yellow Jackets added one in the sixth, but couldn't complete the comeback.

Ellie Thurow improved to 16-4, while Marisa Hall dropped to 13-7. Baldwin Wallace's Mia Maddamma was the lone player in the game with more than one hit as she collected two.