SAINT LEO, Fla. – No. 15 Saint Leo put together 23 hits as a club and swept the visiting Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Tuesday in a doubleheader at University Softball Stadium. The Lions took game one 9-6 before a 5-4 decision in 10 innings closed out the series.

The two wins Tuesday push the Green and Gold's record to 21-7 where it's the 23rd straight season of 20-plus wins and 30th overall in the 35th season of the program.
 
The Lions' 23 hits are the most on a single day this season. The big bat of the day was Sarah Pauscher, who went 4-for-8 on the day with three runs scored, and five runs batted in with two doubles and one homerun. Pauscher was credited with a game-winning RBI sacfly in game two to help Saint Leo sweep Minnesota Duluth.
 
Alexis Miniet led the team from the plate going 5-for-8, .625, with two runs scored and two RBI while seven other players notched at least a hit as Maddy Lynn tied Pauscher with four. Amanda James tallied three hits on the day as Kayleiece Hooks and Bethany Kursch each had two. Emily Pilon, Bayley Wiliams and Grace Spitulski each had one.
 
Lynn tied Pauscher for the most runs scored on the afternoon with three and Kursch and Pilon tied Miniet with two apiece.
 
Four of the five pitchers saw action as Rachel Bean and Madi Mott earned the wins on the day. Bean tossed the final 6.1 innings in game two with four strikeouts while Mott pitched the conclusion of the first game and notched seven strikeouts. Kayla Betts started game two and went 3.1 innings with three strikeouts.

Results | Records
#15 Saint Leo 9, Minnesota Duluth 6 | SLU 20-7, UMD 9-9
#15 Saint Leo 5, Minnesota Duluth 4 (10 innings) | SLU 21-7, UMD 9-10

The series started with a slugfest where each teach notched 10 or more hits in the game. The Bulldogs took the early lead 3-0 with three in the top of the first before the Lions retaliated with three in the bottom half to tie things up. Pauscher doubled to score the first run before coming in on a Miniet single who then came in on an infield single.
 
A sacfly in the second put Minnesota Duluth on top again but Pauscher's three-run dinger gave the Lions the 6-4 lead. On a ball off the bat of Deanna Falciglia, a throwing error allowed Miniet and Kursch to score extending the Green and Gold lead to 8-4. Lynn continued the inning with an RBI single scoring Falciglia making it 9-4 after five.
 
UMD got two back in the top of the seventh with a two-run shot before Mott and the Lions got the final out on a popup to Pilon up the middle.
 
The hot bats of Saint Leo rolled into game two, tacking on 11 more hits in the game. The Lions got off to quick start with a run on a wild pitch after Lynn opened up the game with a triple. Miniet singled to the pitcher who had no play as Pauscher crossed the plate to make it 2-0.
 
A solo homer in the second cut it to 2-1 but the Lions bats came right back with two in the bottom of the third, 4-1 as Pilon and Kursch scored.
 
UMD crawled right back into it with a three-run blast tying things in the fourth inning, 4-4.
 
It would take another six innings before a winner was decided, even with the international tie breaker rule in effect. With Lynn placed on second, Pilon gave herself up to move Lynn to third. Pauscher dug in and was looking to be the hero once again.
 
The senior outfielder took the 2-0 pitch and lifted to deep left field which then allowed Lynn to tag and score, walking off the Bulldogs for the clean 2-0 sweep.

Up Next
Saint Leo will host Bloomsburg Wednesday, March 11 for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

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.