Lakeland, Fla. (March  9, 2007) – The Saint Leo softball team (9-11) earned a split of a doubleheader with No. 2 Alabama-Huntsville (19-6) on Friday at Florida Southern College’s Bennett Field in Lakeland, Fla.  UAH took game one 6-0 before the Lions rallied with a 4-3 win in game two.

The Lions earned the split courtesy of Ashley Urbanik’s (So., Riverview, Fla.) solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning in game two.  The sophomore crushed a pitch to straight away center field to break a 3-3 deadlock.  She then earned a split for herself on the mound, as she worked a perfect seventh to improve to 7-6 overall following her game one loss.

Saint Leo senior catcher Erin Brunt (Clearwater, Fla.) was a combined 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored on the afternoon, leading the Lions at the plate.

The Lions gave up a two-run homer in the top of the first inning in game one, and fell further behind when UAH scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth.  The Chargers starting pitcher Sage Woodham shut down the Saint Leo bats, allowing just five hits and striking out nine during her complete-game shutout effort.

SLU took the early lead in game two, as they plated a pair of runs in the first inning.  Brunt and Shelley Bartlett (Jr., Sarasota, Fla.) delivered RBI doubles in the inning to give starter Kiki VonHolt (Jr., New Port Richey, Fla.) the early 2-0 lead.

After the Chargers cut the deficit in half with one run in the third, the Lions regained their two run lead when Ali Flynn (Sr., Miami, Fla.) singled to score April Slate (Jr., Land O’Lakes, Fla.) from third base.

UAH battled to tie the score in the sixth and had runners at the corners with two outs before Urbanik came into the game and recorded the final two outs of the inning.  The sophomore then hit her solo shot to leadoff the seventh and retired the final three batters in the seventh to secure the win.

Saint Leo will return to Lakeland tomorrow to face the University of North Alabama in another doubleheader at 4:00 p.m.