SAINT LEO, Fla. – The 20th-ranked Saint Leo softball team defeated Lynn 2-1 in the Sunshine State Conference series after going 1-1 on Saturday with a 6-1 game one and a 2-1, in nine innings, in game two at University Softball Stadium.
 
The Lions (25-10, 9-9 SSC) used three pitchers on the day where Auria Mounts tossed the most innings, 7.2, with two appearances where she went the distance in game one earning the win.
 
Alison Mitts tossed 5.0 innings allowing three hits and two runs, suffering the loss in game two. Sara Neuman got the nod in game two and went 3.1 innings allowing no runs on three hits.
 
Sommer Pollard led the offensive charge with a 3-for-7 day from the plate where Bethany Kursch went 2-for-5. Ten of eleven batters recorded at least one hit Saturday between the 15 innings where Kacie Kelly, Brittany Creamer and Shyanne DuBois all tied Kursch with two on the day.
 
Bailey Burk led the way in scoring with two runs where Amanda James, Ciara McCoy, Bailey McKenna, Kelly, and DuBois all scored one run on the day.
 
McKenna and James each hit a homerun, where Creamer and DuBois each smacked a double.
 
Game One - #20 Saint Leo 6, Lynn 1
Auria Mounts pitched game one and picked up her 12th win of the season. Amanda James recorded one hit for three RBI where Bailey McKenna recorded one hit and one RBI. Bailey Burk went 1-for-1 and scored two runs.
 
The Fighting Knights jumped on the Lions with one run in the top of the first before the Lions used two back-to-back three run innings to take a 6-1 lead by the end of the fifth.
 
With one out, Shyanne DuBois hit a rocket to the shortstop where the Fighting Knights' Karolina Flores saw the ball go through the five-hole. The ball would roll all the way to the fence, scoring Burk and allowing DuBois to slide into third.
 
Bethany Kursch would keep things going with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring DuBois. With two outs, and no one on, Bailey McKenna stepped in and drove the pitch over the left field wall for a solo home run.
 
After a scoreless top of the fifth, Amanda James dug into the box with two on, and drove a ball over the left field wall for a three-run home run to make it 6-1 Saint Leo.
 
Mounts would toss two 1-2-3 innings with two strikeouts to close the door on the Fighting Knights.
 
Game Two – Lynn 2, #20 Saint Leo 1 (9 innings)
The Lions fought toe-to-toe with the Fighting Knights before falling 2-1 in nine innings. Sara Neuman started the game with 3.1 innings before leaving the game. Alison Mitts came in and tossed 5.0 innings allowing three hits before Auria Mounts came in for the final 0.2, allowing just one hit.
 
Kacie Kelly, Shyanne DuBois and Brittany Creamer all recorded two hits in the game.
 
Lynn and Saint Leo went scoreless for six innings before the Fighting Knights scored in the top of the seventh.
 
With two outs and Ciara McCoy on second, Brittany Creamer delivered a single to center field allowing McCoy to tie the game, 1-1. The Lions left runners on the corners in the bottom of the seventh, when the game went to the eighth.
 
Each team saw runners stranded in the eighth inning, including bases loaded for the Lions in the bottom half. Lynn's Victoria Rios started things off with a double in the ninth inning before scoring on a single to third base, claiming a 2-1 lead.
 
Saint Leo got a two-out base runner in Ashley Morris before Kacie Kelly singled up the middle, making it first and second with two outs. Saint Leo couldn't get the tying run across, dropping the series finale, 2-1.
 
Up Next …
Saint Leo will welcome in Florida Southern on March 28-29. The Lions and Moccasins will start things off at 7 pm on March 28.
 
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.