MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team erupted for nine runs in the sixth inning to break open a 3-3 tie and lead the Cardinals to a 15-5 Game 1 win over Augsburg Sunday afternoon.

And SMU coach Jen Miller was hoping her Cardinals would pick up right where they left off when the teams played Game 2 of the rain-delayed conference doubleheader Tuesday evening.

What the Cardinals' first-year head coach got was a repeat performance.

Fortunately for Miller, that also meant a second straight win over the Auggies.

Just like Sunday, when the Cardinals went into the top of the sixth inning deadlocked, SMU found itself in the midst of a 1-1 game heading into the top of the seventh inning.

And, just like Sunday, the Cardinals' bats finally came to life late — scoring three seventh-inning runs en route to a 4-1 victory.

"I don't know what it is, but we seem to have a flare for the dramatic of late," said Miller, whose team extended its winning streak against the Auggies to 26 in a row. "We let (Augsburg) hang around on Sunday and it nearly cost us, and we did the same thing tonight. With a 1-1 score — that late in the game — one miscue could be the difference between a win and a lose.

"Fortunately, we were able to get the job done in the seventh."

Thanks in part to an Auggie miscue in the form of lead-off walk to open the Cardinal seventh.

Megan Pulvermacher (Richland Center, Wis.) opened the seventh with a walk, Cassie Otte (Randolph, Minn.) collected an infield single, and Melissa Mondo (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) walked to load the bases. Nikki Jung (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) followed with an RBI single to center to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. A fielder's choice groundout by Tara Close (North St. Paul, Minn.) drove in SMU's second run of the inning and a sacrifice fly by Jenny Giannini (River Grove, Ill.) plated run No. 3.

"I didn't necessarily like the way we went about getting these two wins, but the important thing is, we got two wins," said Miller, whose team solidified its stranglehold on the No. 3 spot in the conference standings — not to mention their bid for an MIAC Tournament berth. "We've still got a lot of work ahead of us, so it's nice to get the week off on a positive start."