WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University softball team earned a sweep over St. Cloud State University on Saturday, with Liz Pautz picking up the win in both games.  The top of the Warrior lineup was key to the success, as Sam Keller and Abbie Hlas contributed significantly to the WSU offense in both games. 

Game One

Liz Pautz took the circle in game one leading the NSIC in strikeouts on the season and did not waste any time adding to her tally.  Pautz struck out the Huskies in the top of the first to set the tone early and then enjoyed strong run support in the first two frames. 

Winona State scored once in the first inning and then added four in the second to break the game open.  Abbie Hlas doubled to score leadoff hitter Sam Keller in the bottom of the opening inning. In their next at bats, Keller homered with Ann Smolenski and Kayla Kerkman aboard, moving the Warrior advantage to 5-0 after two. 

St. Cloud State responded with a run in the third to close the gap to 5-1 but would find their offensive success short lived. In contrast, WSU plated four more in the fourth, when Carly Engelhardt doubled with two outs scoring Hlas and Keller. Then, a pinch-hitting Logan Anderson hit a two run single to center to finish the big WSU inning and push the score to 9-1. 

Pautz retired the SCSU side in order in the top of the fifth, striking out two more in the process. Pautz finished the game with ten strikeouts overall, conceded just three hits and walked one. The SCSU starter, Trinity Junker, gave way to Lauren Kirchberg in the fourth; the pair combined to concede nine runs on ten hits in the five inning contest.

At the plate, WSU was led by Sam Keller with a 3-for-3 effort, scoring three times and collecting two RBI. Keller collected a home run, double and single while Abbie Hlas also was 3-for-3, notching two singles and a double. Rylee Stout added a home run, while Engelhardt and Smolenski each had a double. 

Game Two

With plenty of arm left after facing just 19 batters in game one, Liz Pautz pitched game two for Winona State and continued her strikeout tear. Pautz struck out 14 Huskies, walked just two and gave her team a chance to win when the Warrior bats cooled off somewhat from the opener. 

St. Cloud State struck first in game two, scoring in the top of the second inning after a walk and a sacrifice bunt allowed Maggie Fitzgerald to drive in Haley McFarlane on a single. However, Winona State struck back in their half of the second, when back-to-back doubles by Libby Neveau and Teaghen Amwoza led to the first Warrior run. Kayla Kerkman singled down the right field line to score Amwoza and then Sam Keller continued her impressive day with a double to center to score Kerkman. 

After the second, Pautz and her Huskie counterpart, Kylie Thomsen, combined to hold both teams scoreless the rest of the way. WSU came close to adding to their lead in the fourth after Kerkman collected her second single of the game, but hard-hit balls by Keller and Stout both led to outs to end the inning. 

Overall, Winona State had eight hits, with Kerkman and Hlas both notching two apiece. Keller, Engelhardt, Neveau and Amwoza all had doubles, while Pautz held SCSU to three base hits, all singles. Pautz's 14 strikeouts gave her a two-game total of 24 in the series and led to the 25th win of the season for the Warriors, who now sit at 25-11 overall, 11-3 in NSIC play. 

The Warriors will return to action on Wednesday, April 20 when they travel out to Wayne State College for a NSIC doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.  Winona state will also play at home on Thursday, April 21 when they host Upper Iowa University at Maynard R. Johnson Field, a reschedule of the UIU - WSU matchup in late March that was postponed due to field conditions.