ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – No. 11 Saint Leo bounced back from their first loss of the season to sweep the doubleheader from Eckerd on Sunday, March 6th at Turley Athletic Complex, outscoring the Tritons 11-1 in two games.
The Lions improved to 16-1, 5-1 SSC on the year when they defeated the Tritons in both games Sunday afternoon by scores of 5-0 and 6-1, respectively.
On the day, Tiffany Thompson led the Lions offensive with five hits in seven at bats collecting two runs on a .714 slugging percentage and batting average. Ciera Schumaker went 5-for-8 from the dish with two doubles and one run scored while knocking in three runs.
The trio of pitchers kept the ERAs at zero, as Alana Tabel pitched game one of the doubleheader picking up the win, her sixth of the season. Tabel finished game one with 5.1-innings pitched giving up just three hits and recorded two strikeouts. Stephanie Adkins came in and snagged her first career save in Green and Gold throwing 1.2-innings in game one with one hit and four strikeouts. Samantha Tyler won game two, her fourth of the year, going the distance with five hits, one run (unearned) and she fanned 10 batters.
Eckerd moves to 12-7-1, 1-2 SSC on the year after the two games Sunday afternoon.
GAME 1 – No. 11 Saint Leo 5 - Eckerd 0
Saint Leo returned to Eckerd and took game one 5-0 with a four run seventh inning. Stephanie Adkins picked up the save for Saint Leo, her first of her career, as Alana Tabel picked up her sixth win of the year with 5.1 innings pitched with two strikeouts and three hits.
Tiffany Thompson and Ciera Schumaker both went 3-for-4 from the plate with one run a piece scored, as Schumaker had two RBI. Sommer Pollard went 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Brooke Samios-Uy went 2-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI.
Both starting pitchers for the Lions and Tritons were keeping both lineups in check as the game went scoreless into the top of the sixth inning where the Lions were able to push one across the plate. Four striaght singles led to the Lions' score. Pollard started things off with a single up the middle followed by a single from Thompson. Samios-Uy stepped up and loaded the bases with a single of her own. Schumaker came up and hit a single scoring Pollard from third.
In the top of the seventh, Saint Leo added four insurance runs all with two outs. Back-to-back singles by Pollard and Thompson allowed the Lions to get two base runners. Rachael Heath reached on an error by the second baseman, allowing Pollard to come across and score. Samios-Uy would deliver a two out double to left center scoring Thompson and Heath to put the Lions up 4-0. Schumaker followed Samios-Uy's double with a double of her own to right center scoring Samios-Uy from second where Saint Leo finished the game with a 5-0 victory.
Adkins came in the game in relief of Tabel in the bottom of the sixth with one out and two on and went on to earn the save with closing the door in the bottom of the seventh.
GAME 2– No. 11 Saint Leo 6 - Eckerd 1
The Lions completed the doubleheader sweep after a 6-1 victory in game two vs. Eckerd. Saint Leo was led by Samantha Tyler in the circle as she threw seven complete innings with five hits, 10 strikeouts and one run (unearned).
Tiffany Thompson and Brittany Creamer each went 2-for-3 from the plate as Thompson was one of Saint Leo's six runs, while Creamer was responsible for driving in two of the runs. Schumaker finished 2-for-4 in the game with scoring once and recording one RBI.
The Lions pushed three runs across in the top of the fourth inning followed by two in the fifth and the final run in the seventh. Eckerd scored their lone run in the bottom of the fourth.
Two doubles in the fourth started things off for Saint Leo. Schumaker started it off with a one out double to right center followed by a two out double to left field by Michelle George, scoring Schumaker.
Saint Leo didn't stop there as they added another one on a double from Bailey McKenna, scoring George, and then an Elizabeth Diaz single to bring McKenna home from third.
Creamer came up in the top of the fifth with a two out single scoring Samios-Uy and Thompson to extend Saint Leo's lead to 5-1.
Samios-Uy singled through the right side to start the top of the seventh. Danielle Bottley came in to run for Samios-Uy and stole second on the first pitch. Bottley would come around as the final run of the game when Schumaker singled up the middle on a 3-0 count.
Up Next
Saint Leo returns home on Wednesday, March 9th for a doubleheader at 5 and 7 p.m. against Southwest Minnesota State, which will start a 10 game home stretch for the Lions.
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.
