Three bases-loaded walks and a late two-out error proved costly Friday afternoon as top-seed St. Thomas Baseball lost 6-3 Friday to third-seed St. Mary's at the MIAC Baseball Playoffs in Collegeville.

The Tommies (27-6) had a 13-game win streak halted, and now must must win three elimination games to take the playoff crown.

The Purple play again Friday at 7 p.m. against the winner of the 3:30 p.m. game featuring second-seed Gustavus and fifth-seed Bethel. That winner moves on to Saturday and must beat St. Mary's twice to get the automatic bid into the Division III playoffs.

The Cardinals (28-13) have won six of their last seven games. They are looking to make the NCAA playoff field for the first time in 28 seasons.

St. Thomas outhit the Cardinals 11-7 but struggled to capitalize on offense, with eight left on base and two others thrown out stealing.

A season-high seven walks by two Tommie pitchers proved costly, as only one of SMU's five earned runs come home on RBI hits. Two singles, four walks and another single to start the top of the seventh inning turned a 2-1 Tommie lead into a 5-2 deficit.

Two bases-loaded double plays turned by St. Thomas on the day let it escape further damage.

Sam Kulesa and Avery Lehman each had three hits, and Mike Wallace and Charlie Bartholomew each had two hits. Jake Porter drove in the first run with a squeeze-bunt sacrifice in the first inning, and Lehman drove in a run in the seventh with a double.