LAKELAND, Fla. – The Saint Leo softball team (15-17, 3-3 SSC) split its afternoon doubleheader with Sunshine State Conference rival Florida Southern (8-8, 2-4 SSC), Saturday from Barnett Field in Lakeland.
The Lions shielded a one-run lead over the final four innings to post a 3-2 game one win. Saint Leo could not protect that same 3-2 advantage in game two, however, as the Mocs scored three times over the final two frames to steal the back end of the doubleheader.
Saint Leo collected 15 hits during the two game stretch, but 15 runners left on base as well as not being able to capitalize on six Mocs’ errors, allowed Florida Southern to leave the conference series with the split.
A trio of Lions contributed to the 15-hit total, including Amber Martyn, Elysha Agen, and Ashlee Sismilich. In addition, Agen added a pair of RBI while Sismilich scored two runs. Danielle Moreda went 2-for-5 with a run scored and Sarah Boyd rounded-out the Lions multiple hit group with two hits and an RBI.
In the Lions’ game one victory, Saint Leo had to battle back from a 1-0 deficit as the Mocs struck in the second inning with an RBI single from Brittany Murphy.
Saint Leo answered the opening run challenge, however, as they did all of their games scoring in the third. After Kasey Postupack and Sismilich put themselves in scoring position, the duo scored on the combination of a wild pitch and a Brittany Yates RBI single to give the Lions a 2-1 lead. After advancing to second on another wild pitch, Boyd knocked home Yates with an RBI base hit to centerfield capping the inning.
The 3-1 Lions’ lead was trimmed by one in the bottom of the third inning when Karlyn Scott scored on a wild pitch.
Fortunately for the Lions’ fans in attendance, reliever Megan Still and Saint Leo defense was able to keep the pesky Mocs’ bunch off the base paths and solidify the first win of the series for the Green & Gold.
Saint Leo’s Still earned the win as she tossed four scoreless innings in relief of Kristen Kelly, allowing just two hits. The victory improved her record to 8-5.
The Lions wasted no time in jumping on top of Mocs’ starter Christine Clark in game two as Dianne Gonzalez scored the team’s first run on Florida Southern fielding error.
After Southern tied the game at one apiece in the second, the Lions jumped back out on top as Agen drove a single back through the middle, platting Sismilich from second.
The back-and-forth contest was witness to the Lions grabbing their third lead of the game in the fifth inning. Another Agen RBI single was in store for the Mocs as she roped a single into left field to score Moreda.
This time, however, the Lions couldn’t protect their 3-2 advantage. Florida Southern scored three runs over the next two innings to push the score to its eventual 5-3 win.
In the Mocs two-run fifth, Southern led-off the inning with a pair of singles. After a pitching change, the Lions responded with consecutive outs to put the Mocs on their heels. Unfortunately, another Lions’ two out fielding miscue allowed both Graziani and Scott to score.
Florida Southern added an insurance run in the sixth when Scott knocked home Dezirae Parsons to ice the game.
A potential seventh inning rally for Saint Leo went for not as consecutive singles to start the inning was followed by three consecutive outs.
Jaime Walker was tagged with the loss in game two as she fell to 1-4 on the season. In total, four pitchers saw the circle for the visiting Lions, all of which threw a minimum of one inning.
The Lions will take a break from SSC play, as they welcome Nyack College into University Stadium for a non-region doubleheader. First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m.
Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2
