GULF SHORES, Ala. – No. 23 Saint Leo softball spilt day two of the Gulf Coast Invitational after falling to Shorter 9-8 and then defeating North Alabama 6-2. The Lions righty Alison Mitts threw a four hit complete game to defeat the UNA Lions.
 
Mitts, who got revenge on the UNA Lions from last year's loss in the NCAA regionals, threw seven innings allowing just two runs while striking out six batters.
 
On the day, Sommer Pollard sparked the Green and Gold's offense, going 4-for-5 from the plate for a .800 daily average with two runs scored and one double. Kacie Kelly went 5-for-8 with three runs scored and two doubles on the day while driving in four RBI.
 
Bethany Kursch, Brittany Creamer and Ashley Morris each tallied three hits in the two games where Morris scored three runs as Kursch and Creamer scored one.
 
As a team, the Lions hit a .355 average (22-62) for a .484 slugging percentage and a .414 on base percentage. Saint Leo scored 14 runs to its opponents 11, hitting five doubles and one home run. The Lions lone home run came in the fourth inning against Shorter as Sarah Pauscher took a ball deep to left field.


GAME 1 – Shorter 9, #23 Saint Leo 8
Saint Leo jumped out in front early with two runs in the bottom of the first. The Green and Gold scored four more runs in the second and one run in each of the third and fifth innings. Samantha Tyler got the nod to start the game and pitched 3.1 innings allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out two batters. Sara Neuman and Auria Mounts came in behind Tyler where Mounts moved to 1-1 on the year after taking the loss in 1.1 innings of work late in the game.
 
The Lions saw Kacie Kelly reach on a single through the left side and score on a throwing error. Ashley Morris, who singled through the left side behind Kelly, scored on fielder's choice, making it 2-0 Saint Leo.
 
Shorter answered the Lions' two runs with three in the top half of the second inning before the Green and Gold responded with four in the bottom of the second. Kelly's double to left center drove in Brittany Creamer and Sommer Pollard before coming in on a Morris double to left field. Bethany Kursch kept the inning alive with a two-out single down the left field line scoring Morris as the final run of the inning.
 
Shyanne DuBois started the third inning off with a hit-by-pitch before stealing second base. Bailey McKenna moved DuBois to third on a hard groundout to second base. Creamer's single to third allowed DuBois to score the lone run of the third inning.
 
Shorter got one back in the top of the fourth inning before the Lions scored one in the bottom of the fifth. Sarah Pauscher was credited with the lone fifth inning run when she led off the inning for the Green and Gold with a solo homer to left field.
 
It would be the sixth inning that haunted the Lions where the Hawks scored five runs to take a 9-8 lead. Shorter used two singles, and two walks followed by a three-run home run to take the lead.
 
The Hawks' Payton Lippert used two shutdown innings to secure the win over the Lions allowing just one hit and standing four runners across the two innings. The Lions had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh with one out and couldn't get the tying run across.
 
GAME 2 – #23 Saint Leo 6, North Alabama 2
Alison Mitts threw fire against the North Alabama Lions, allowing the Green and Gold to come out on top, 6-2. Mitts tossed the seven inning complete game allowing just two runs while recording six strikeouts. Kacie Kelly went 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBI, one run scored and one double. Bethany Kursch joined Kelly with one run and one double as Shyanne DuBois and Sommer Pollard both went 2-for-3 with one run scored.
 
The Lions pounced on North Alabama with a run in the first inning as Kacie Kelly singled to second base to start things off. Kelly came in to score on a Bethany Kursch sac fly to left field. As Kelly continued to swing a hot bat, she would drive in Sommer Pollard in the second inning with a single to right field before a double down the left field line scored Shyanne DuBois in the top of the fourth to put Saint Leo up 3-0.
 
North Alabama got two runs back off a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to cut it to 3-2.
 
Ashley Morris would lay down a bunt single before coming in on a single from Sarah Pauscher. After Bethany Kursch came in to score on a passed ball, the UNA catcher made a throwing error, which allowed Pauscher to come in for the sixth and final run of the game.
 
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Alison Mitts gave up just her fourth hit of the game before getting the eighth batter in the lineup to line to third base where Morris threw it over to Auria Mounts at first base to end the game with a double-play.

Up Next …
Saint Leo returns to action Sunday at 11 a.m. as the Lions take on the Chargers of Ala.-Huntsville. Saint Leo closes out play at the Gulf Coast Invitational at 12:15 p.m. against West Alabama.

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.