ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – No. 9 Saint Leo softball salvaged one game of the Sunshine State Conference series against Eckerd with a 5-4 game one Saturday afternoon before falling 3-2 in eight innings to the Tritons, dropping the SSC series 2-1.
 
The Lions (23-9, 7-8 SSC) saw Shyanne DuBois lead the way in the low hitting affair with a 3-for-6 day with one run scored. Maddy Lynn and Bethany Kursch went 1-for-1 in their lone appearance where Lynn drove in two runs with a double.
 
Brittany Creamer tied Lynn for the lead in RBI with two. Ashley Morris, Bailey McKenna, Kacie Kelly, Amanda James and Creamer were all credited with a hit in the two games. Kelly led the way in runs scored with two of the seven and four of the Green and Golds six walks.
 
Alison Mitts, Auria Mounts and Sara Neuman all saw action in the circle where Mounts and Neuman got starts. Mounts took the win and loss on the day with Mitts earning the save in game one of the day.
 
Mounts pitched 8.2 innings, picking up three strikeouts while giving up five runs on seven hits. Neuman pitched 4.1 innings of game two allowing two runs on four hits with one walk. Mitts tossed 1.2 innings with one strikeout and just two hits.
 
Game 1 - #9 Saint Leo 5, Eckerd 4
Saint Leo scored five runs in the top of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, and eventually hold on for the come from behind win.
 
Amanda James got things started with a single through the left side scoring Kacie Kelly. With bases loaded, Alyssa Wash and Brittany Creamer were hit-by-pitch on back-to-back plays scoring Shyane DuBois and James, respectively. Maddy Lynn would hit a double to left field to plate Ciara McCoy and Bailey McKenna as the Lions took a 5-4 lead.
 
With one out in the bottom of the sixth and two on, Alison Mitts came in to pitch and closed the door in the inning with a strikeout and a bases loaded flyout to left field.
 
Mitts returned in the bottom of the seventh and earned the save with two pop outs to Brittany Creamer at shortstop and a flyout to Ciara McCoy in right field.
 
Game 2 – Eckerd 3, #9 Saint Leo 2 (8 inns.)
Saint Leo took an early 1-0 lead in the third inning before adding another in the fourth. A two-run homer in the fifth for the Tritons tied things up at 2-2 before the two teams played scoreless for two innings, heading into extra innings.
 
The Lions had a chance to add runs but failed while the Tritons scored one in the bottom half to take a 3-2 walk-off win, to win the series 2-1.
 
Brittay Creamer singled up the middle in the third inning to score Kacie Kelly before Bailey Burk scored on a throwing error by the catcher to make it 2-0 in the fourth inning.
 
Eckerd used a two-run home run to tie things, 2-2, before neither team scored in the sixth or seventh innings.
 
With one runner on, and two outs, Eckerd's Nikki Van Gennep singled up the middle to plate the go-ahead and winning run in the eighth inning.
 
Up Next …
Saint Leo returns to action Friday, March 23 when the Lions host Lynn at 7 p.m. for game one of the three game Sunshine State Conference series.
 
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.