WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Allowing a single unearned run across an 18-inning doubleheader, the Saint Leo softball team cruised to a twin-bill sweep of host Palm Beach Atlantic at the Rinker Athletic Campus on Wednesday evening. The Green and Gold took a 2-1 extra-inning win before completing the sweep behind a 4-0 shutout.
The Lions improve to 26-7 on the season while the Sailfish dip to 16-15 on the year. The Saint Leo pitching staff combined for 18 total innings at a perfect 0.00 ERA to go along with 14 strikeouts.
The first game concluded as an 11-inning marathon, as Saint Leo hurler Alana Tabel (11-2) tossed the complete game, scattering seven hits across the 11 frames. The junior struck out five batters while surrendering a single, unearned run.
The Lions plated a runner in the premier stanza, as third-baseman Adriana Sanders roped a RBI double to left center to plate McKenzie Burns and give the Green and Gold a 1-0 lead.
PBA struck back in the third inning, as Devin Williams scored after a costly error, knotting the game at 1-1. The scoring ceased for eight innings, until Tori Thomas laced a double to left field, scoring Torrie Weindorf and giving the Lions a 2-1 advantage in extra innings.
Seniors Burns and Sanders concluded the first contest with two hits apiece, as the latter swiped two bases in the first game victory.
Sailfish starting pitcher Rachel Hill (7-1) was tabbed with her first loss of the season, matching the 11 innings of Tabel while yielding two earned runs off of nine hits.
Senior Ashley Ehlers (10-4) pitched masterfully in the second game, throwing a seven-inning, complete-game shutout for her tenth victory of the season. The right-hander allowed a single hit while striking out nine batters and issuing one walk.
Game two led off with a quick 2-0 advantage for the Lions, as sound base-running led a pair of runs scored for Saint Leo.
Seniors Angela Kafalas and Burns added RBI singles in the 3rd and 4th inning, respectively to increase the Green and Gold lead to a 4-0 margin.
PBA hurler Amber Johnson (1-5) was the pitcher of record, tossing five innings while allowing four runs off of seven hits to earn the loss.
Saint Leo will continue its trip to South Florida with a visit to Nova Southeastern for a three-game set. The first contest will be played Friday with a 6 p.m. start before a Saturday doubleheader slated for a 1 p.m. first game.
For more information on the Saint Leo softball program, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
