Miami Shores, Fla. (May 7, 2008) – The No. 24 Saint Leo University softball team (36-13) opened the 2008 South Region Softball Tournament with a 3-2 victory in eight innings over Valdosta State University (48-18) on Wednesday.  The South Region is being hosted by Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla.

With the win, Saint Leo will now face No. 7 seed West Florida tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. at Barry’s Buccaneer Field.  UWF upset No. 2 seed and top-ranked Alabama-Huntsville 2-1 on Wednesday.

Tatiana Casis (Jr., Port St. Lucie, Fla.) drove in the game-winning run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly to score Elysha Agen (Fr., Palm Harbor, Fla.).  Agen had started the inning with a single, followed by a single by CF April Slate (Sr., Land O’Lakes, Fla.).  The pair were moved over on a ground out by Amanda Patrick (Fr., Tampa, Fla.).  Casis then delivered the game-winning run with a fly ball to center that scored Agen.

Saint Leo starter Ashley Urbanik (Jr., Riverview, Fla.) tossed a complete-game one-hitter en route to her 26th victory of the season (26-8).  The Lions’ righty outdueled VSU starter Kristen Lindsay for the win, as both pitchers struck out eight in the game.

Slate was the only Lion to register multiple-hits in the contest, as she went 2-for-4.  After Valdosta State had opened the scoring with a run in the first, Slate led off the bottom of the inning with a double.  She then scored on an RBI single by Patrick.  Ally Maddox (Jr., Brandon, Fla.) delivered an RBI single to score Patrick and give the Lions a 2-1 lead.

The Blazers tied the game with a run in the third, as they got their only hit of the game in the frame.  Both pitchers kept the respective teams’ offenses off the board from that point until the Lions ended the game with their rally in the eighth.