SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo softball team (17-17) collected a pair of run-rule, shutout victories over Nyack College (2-4), Tuesday evening from University Softball Stadium.
Game one saw the Lions blank the Warriors 8-0 in five innings, while an identical 8-0 score in game two completed the sweep and pushed the Lions back to .500 for the first time since March 1st.
Outhitting Nyack 25-8, Saint Leo saw seven batters have multiple hit evenings. Ali Lamb, Danielle Moreda, and Diane Gonzalez each posted four hits while Alex Garris and Sarah Boyd also registered three hits apiece. Amber Martyn and Ashlee Sismilich also cataloged two base knocks.
The Saint Leo offense was off and running early in game one as they posted three runs in the first inning. Sismilich jump started the rally as she led the game off with a triple. A bunt single by Gonzalez scored the Lions’ leadoff hitter and sacrifice fly by Brittany Yates put the Green & Gold up 2-0. Elysha Agen finished the Lions’ scoring when she crossed the plate on a Warriors’ fielding misfire.
SLU kept the momentum going in the second inning as two more runs increased the advantage to 5-0. Lamb, after leading the inning off with a base hit, eventually scored on a fielder’s choice. Gonzalez also collected her second RBI in as many innings as she roped an RBI double down the right field line.
Two more runs were on tap for the Green & Gold in the third inning when Moreda blasted a two-run double off the centerfield fence.
With Lions’ hurler Megan Still keeping the Nyack offence silent, Lamb wrapped-up the game in the fifth inning as she drove in the team’s eighth run. After Boyd and Martin reached to start the inning, Lamb sent a blast back up the middle to score Boyd from second and complete the shutout.
As far as Lions’ pitching, Still was dominant in the circle as she posted a five inning, complete game shutout. She allowed just three hits and struck out six Warriors while moving to 9-5 on the season.
Game two displayed much of the same as the Lions used a combination of speed and power to put Nyack away earlier than the regulation seven innings.
Saint Leo went up 4-0 in the first as they batted around the lineup. Garris singled to start the inning and Gonzalez followed with her third RBI base hit of the day. Later, Boyd drew a walk to load the bases and soon, in addition to Gonzalez, came home to score a Nyack fielding error. Lamb completed the scoring once again for SLU as her single extended the lead to 4-0 after just one inning of play.
After making the score 5-0 in the third inning, the Lions posted two additional runs in the fifth. Garris was responsible for both runs in the inning as she knocked in Moreda from third and later come home on a wild pitch.
Once again dominant pitching, this time by Ashton Whidden, put the Lions in position to end the game early. A leadoff double by Boyd and a single by Katie Gwinn put a pair of runners in scoring position. Boyd ultimately advanced home 60 feet as she scored on a throwing error by the shortstop.
Whidden threw six solid innings for the Lions as she collected her first complete game shutout of the season. She scattered five hits and struck out the four batters en route to improving her overall mark to 3-6.
In addition, the Lions 11 combined stolen bases now sees them just 53 shy of the school record of 131 set in 1987.
A trek to Clermont, Fla. is set for Thursday as the Lions will take on two more non-region opponents. Saint Leo will challenge St. Michael’s at 3:30 p.m. and will follow with the University of Bridgeport at 5:30 p.m. Each game will be played from the National Training Center.
Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2
