MELBOURNE, Fla. – Four runs in the fifth propelled No. 25 Saint Leo softball past No. 18 Alabama-Huntsville 6-3 to close out the Florida Tech Invitational at the USSSA Space Coast Complex Sunday morning.
 
The Lions scattered 13 hits on the day where Sarah Pauscher and Maddy Lynn paced the team with three apiece. Seven others picked up a hit in the contest in Amanda James, Taylor McCray, Sadi Avants, Bethany Kursch, Grace Sobieski, Makensey Pankers, and Grace Spitulski.
 
Lynn led the team in scoring with two runs as Pauscher, McCray, Rachel Bean and Brigette Soza all added one run for the Green and Gold.
 
Madi Mott got the start and tossed 4.0 innings with four strikeouts, receiving the no-decision while Avants came in and tossed two scoreless and hitless innings to earn her second win of the year.
 
Kayla Betts picked up her second save of the season after a clean frame in the seventh.

Results | Records
#25 Saint Leo 6, #18 Alabama-Huntsville 3 | SLU 7-2, UAH 5-4

 The Chargers jumped on the Lions with two quick runs in the first inning before the two went scoreless over the next two frames. UAH added a third run in the top of the fourth for a 3-0 lead.
 
Bethany Kursch stepped to the plate in the bottom half of the fourth inning and delivered a triple down the left-field line scoring Brigette Soza and Maddy Lynn to cut the deficit to 3-2.
 
Sadi Avants came in to pitch for the Lions in the top of the fifth and mowed down the Chargers in order getting the bats back into the Green and Gold's hands.
 
Saint Leo would plate four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-3 lead. Rachel Bean came in to score on a single to center field from Sarah Pauscher, before Taylor McCray drove in Pauscher on a base knock to shortstop. Avants, who was helping her own cause at this point, doubled down the left-field line bringing McCray and Lynn across the plate.
 
UAH left a baserunner on in the sixth and went quietly in the seventh as Kayla Betts shut down the Chargers opportunities with a strikeout, a flyout, and a pop out.

Up Next
The Lions will look to start off the home portion of the schedule with the Saint Leo Invitational on Feb. 15-16 at University Softball Stadium with the University of Virginia at Wise and Flagler College.
 
For more information on the Saint Leo softball program, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.