MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Saint Leo University softball team dropped its Saturday twin-bill to host Florida Tech at Nancy Bottge Field. The Panthers took a 1-0 win in the opening contest before ending a 12-inning marathon with a 3-2 victory over the Green and Gold.
The Lions drop to 28-10 overall with a 4-7 tally in Sunshine State Conference play while host FIT improves to 28-11 with a 7-4 mark in conference matchups.
Senior Adriana Sanders finished the day with five total hits between the pair of games, adding two RBI for Saint Leo. Outfielders Tiffany Thompson and McKenzie Burns each contributed a trio of hits over the doubleheader.
Both squads pitched masterfully, as the first-game duel saw each team trade scoreless innings as Florida Tech ace Rachel Pence started in the circle opposite Lions hurler Alana Tabel.
Defense highlighted the contest, as senior Burns saved a run from scoring with a spectacular catch in deep right-centerfield, stranding a runner at third in the fifth stanza.
The Panthers scored the lone run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Brigit Godfrey led off the frame with a single down the third-base line. Offensive player Nicole Miller singled up the middle to score Godfrey and give FIT the only run it needed.
Pence (18-8) ended the contest with the win, scattering six Saint Leo hits across seven innings. Green and Gold junior Tabel (12-3) was credited with the loss, allowing one earned run behind four hits while sending four Panther batters down on strikes.
Six Lions concluded game one with a hit, as Burns, Thompson and Sanders collected a single each. Seniors Angela Kafalas, Cassie Boggs and Torrie Weindorf added base-knocks but the Green and Gold was unable to score, falling by a slim 1-0 margin to FIT in the first contest.
Game two mirrored the first pitcher's duel as Saint Leo starter Ashley Ehlers started opposite Pence in the second contest. The showdown remained scoreless until third inning, when a costly error caused a Panther run to score, giving the home team a familiar 1-0 advantage.
FIT's Ashley Montion roped a one-out solo homer to leftfield, adding an insurance run to Pence's clean sheet. The Panthers led the Green and Gold 2-0 after four complete innings.
The Saint Leo bats came alive in the sixth, as Sanders hit a clutch, two-RBI single with the bases-loaded to knot the score at 2-2.
Ehlers concluded with six innings pitched, allowing two runs, one earned off of a pair of hits in the no decision. The senior struck out four and walked two in the game two start.
The two squads were unable to score through 5 extra-innings as Tabel took the mound in relief of Ehlers, pitching nearly six frames of the marathon game.
The Panthers concluded the contest with a two-out single to left, scoring the winning run and finishing the game with a 3-2 tally over Saint Leo.
Pence (19-8) finished with her second victory of the day, pitching eight innings allowing two runs while yielding seven hits. Tabel (12-4) was tabbed with the loss, pitching five-plus innings of relief while allowing one run and striking out four.
Third-baseman Sanders finished the game with four hits and a pair of RBI while Burns and Thompson each notched a pair of hits.
The Green and Gold will conclude the three-game set with Florida Tech on Sunday, slated for a 3 p.m. start at Nancy Bottge Field. Live stats will be available through www.saintleolions.com.
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.
