SAINT LEO, Fla. – No. 7 nationally ranked Saint Leo's softball team swept Flagler, 2-0 // 10-1 (5 innings) in doubleheader action on Friday, April 1st at University Softball Stadium. In between games, Saint Leo partnered with Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant a five-year old boy his wish of going on the Disney Star Wars Cruise.
With the two wins, the Lions improve to 31-1 overall and hold a 14-1 mark in the Sunshine State Conference. The two losses by the Saints drop Flagler to a 20-23 record. Saint Leo won game one by a final score of 2-0 and took game two in five innings with a 10-1 score. Saint Leo extended their win streak to 17 straight games and boast a 19-0 home record.
Stephanie Adkins and Alana Tabel picked up wins in the contests as Adkins won game one moving to 14-1 on the year, while Tabel won game two going to a perfect 11-0 on the year. While in the circle, Adkins pitched seven complete innings for her 10th complete game of the year and recorded her seventh shutout on the year. Adkins gave up just three hits and two walks while striking out seven batters.
Tabel won game two on five innings of work with four hits one run and four strikeouts pushing her over the 300 career mark.
In the two games combined, Tiffany Thompson, Rachael Heath and Brooke Samios-Uy led the team, all of them going 3-for-6 from the plate to finish the day with a .500 batting average. Heath scored three times as Thompson and Samios-Uy each scored twice. Samios-Uy recorded three RBI to end in a tie for leading the team on the night with Samantha Ohmie.
GAME ONE - #7 Saint Leo 2, Flagler 0
Saint Leo moved to 30-1 on the year with a 2-0 win over Flagler on Friday, April 1 as Samantha Ohmie was charged with the winning hit and driving in the winning run on a fourth inning dinger to left field. The homer plated both Ohmie and Brittany Creamer; Creamer reached base after hitting a one out double before scoring on Ohmie's homer.
The Lions saw Stephanie Adkins win game one and move to 14-1 on the year with seven innings pitched, three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Adkins worked into the fourth inning with no hits before a Saints' single took away the no-no. She recorded her 10th complete game and seventh shutout of the year.
GAME TWO - #7 Saint Leo 10, Flagler 1 (5 innings)
Saint Leo swept the day with a 10-1, five inning second game to improve to 31-1 on the year. Alana Tabel got the victory to go to 11-0 on the year and recorded her 300th career strikeout, for the second out in the fourth inning before ending the game with a five inning, four hit, one run and four strikeouts line.
Flagler jumped on the board first as the Saints' Malloree Escue singled through the left side and stole second to get into scoring position with one out. Rachel Hudson singled up the middle scoring Escue from second before Tabel closed the side with a groundout.
Saint Leo answered right back with four in the bottom of the first to take the 4-1 lead going to the second inning. Five straight singles were the reason for the Lions' four runs as Tiffany Thompson led things off with a single to shortstop as she beat the throw. Thompson advanced to second on a wild pitch before Rachael Heath laid down a bunt and reached base safely. Brooke Samios-Uy stepped up to the plate with two runners on and no outs and drove in Thompson with a single through the left side.
Saint Leo added three more runs as Ciera Schumaker laid down a bunt single, scoring Heath on a squeeze play at home to take the 2-1 lead. Stephanie Adkins came up and hit the ball to right field, loading the bases for Brittany Creamer. Samios-Uy and Schumaker would come in for the final two runs on two wild pitches.
The Lions scored one in the bottom of the second as Heath started off reaching on an error by the third baseman and stealing second. Samios-Uy would then double to left field bringing Heath around to score.
A five run fourth inning would seal the deal for Saint Leo as the Lions recorded five runs on four hits while Flagler had two errors leaving one runner on base. Three singles by Thompson, Heath and Samios-Uy, followed by a fielder's choice and a double by Adkins saw all five runs come across with one out.
Thompson, Heath, Samios-Uy, Schumaker and Adkins all came in to score in the fourth inning before Alana Tabel closed the door on the Saints in the top of the fifth. The first batter in the fifth was ruled out due to batters interference, while Tabel was able to get the second out to ground out to Schumaker at third. Leaving it all out in center field, Heath sprinted in and dove for the final out catching a liner that was dipping down as Saint Leo went on for the 10-1 five inning victory.
UP NEXT
Saint Leo travels across town to take on rival Tampa in a three game Sunshine State Conference series on April 8th at 6:00 pm and April 9th at 1 and 3 p.m.
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.
