Softball | May 15, 2018

SAINT LEO, Fla. – No. 25 Saint Leo softball welcomes the No. 16 The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Chargers to University Softball Stadium for the 2018 NCAA South Super Regional, May 17-18.
 
The Lions (35-15) and Chargers (38-16) will play a best-of-three series where both teams will be the home team in the first two guaranteed games. Saint Leo will play host and the home team in game one Thursday, May 17 at 1 p.m. before Ala.-Huntsville will be the home team in the first game Friday, May 18 at 1 p.m.
 
Tournament Page
Live Stats
Live Video
 
Address: 33701 FL-52 • St Leo, Florida 33574
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at the gate (Cash only). Daily prices are $8 for adults, $6 for Seniors (65 years and older) as well as Students (ID Required), $5 for Military (Active and retired), $5 Children under 12.
Parking: Parking is Free.
 
South 2 Region Participants:

Ala. - Huntsville	South Super Regional	Saint Leo
www.uahchargers.com	Website	www.saintleolions.com
4	South Region Seed	3
3-1	2018 Postseason Record	3-0
0-1	2018 Head-to-Head	1-0
38-16	Overall Record	35-15
All-Time Record UAH 22-5
May 12, 2017 (9-7)	Last Win	Feb. 4, 2018 (9-1 6 inns.)
2018 Statistics
.345	Batting Average	.295
.273	Opp Batting Average	.222
385	RBI	186
3.20	ERA	1.92
217	Strikeouts	235
7	Shutouts	8

How They Got Here …
Saint Leo:

• Saint Leo advanced and earned to host after defeating No. 4 North Alabama, who was the no. 2 seed and host of the South 2 Regional in Florence, Ala.
• The Lions went 3-0 at the South 2 Regional and advanced to the Super Regionals for the first time in program history.
• Saint Leo opened up play defeating No. 22 Embry-Riddle 3-0 before taking on No. 4 North Alabama in the winner's bracket where the Green and Gold won 2-1.
• The Lions replicated the score from Friday in Saturday's game winning 2-1.
• G1: W 3-0 // G2: W 2-1 // G3: W 2-1

Ala.-Huntsville:

• Ala.-Huntsville advanced and earned a spot in the Super Regional after defeating No. 7 and overall top-seed in the South Palm Beach Atlantic.
• PBA was hosting the South 1 Regional in West Palm Beach where the Chargers went 3-1.
• The Chargers opened up with an 11-6 win over Valdosta State before a 5-3 win over PBA on Friday.
• UAH closed out the South 1 Regional with a 3-0 setback to PBA before a 5-1 winner take all late Saturday afternoon.
• G1: W 11-6 // G2: W 5-3 // G3: L 3-0 // G4: W 5-1 

Head-to-Head in 2018 ... Saint Leo 9, Ala.-Huntsville 1 (6 innings)

• Saint Leo holds the 1-0 season record after a 9-1 win in six innings in early February.
• The Lions defeated the Chargers in six innings on the final day of the D2 Gulf Coast Invitational where the Green and Gold scattered 13 hits.
• The game was complete when the Lions hit the eight-run rule in the bottom of the sixth with two outs and the bases loaded. Bailey McKenna drew the 3-0 walk, allowing Bethany Kursch to come in from third for the game ending run.
• Auria Mounts got the start for the Lions where she went the distance, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out five batters, moving to 2-1 on the season.
• Kacie Kelly, Ashley Morris and Bethany Kursch all tallied three hits against UAH where Morris went a perfect 3-for-3. Kursch notched a team high three RBI, one ahead of Bailey McKenna (2). Eight different Lions scored a run in the game, led by Sommer Pollard who scored two runs.
• The Chargers saw Layton Murphy start the game and take the loss after three innings of work. Murphy gave up nine hits and six runs, three earned, before Jada Hayes came in for the final 2.2 innings of work.
• UAH only saw Shelby Booker, Kiara Akles and Ashley Cornell tally a hit in the game where Akles was the lone run of the contest.  

Head-to-Head All-Time ... 

• Ala.-Huntsville holds the all-time record 22-5.
• The Lions broke the losing skid of five-straight to the Chargers with the 9-1 win during the 2018 season.
•  Saint Leo picked up its first win over UAH on February 22, 2003, 7-4 in Saint Leo.

Saint Leo in 2018 ... 

• The 2018 Softball season was off to a hot start after the Green and Gold opened up with a 9-1 record through their first 10 games. The Lions were able to take down then-no. 3 West Florida 5-4 in eight innings, as well as Gulf South powerhouses North Alabama, 6-2, and Alabama-Huntsville, 9-1 in 6 innings.
• Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Erin Kinberger, the Clearwater, Fla. native, has put together another 30-win team, with a 2018 record of 35-15 heading into the South Super Regional.
• The Lions once again were stellar on their home turf supporting a 19-5 record at University Softball Stadium. In conference play, the Lions posted an above .500 record for the fourth consecutive year. Saint Leo was able to sweep three conference opponents in Florida Tech, Florida Southern, and Barry.
• Saint Leo posted a nice 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup with Kacie Kelly and Ashley Morris posting batting averages of .384 and .373 on the year. Kelly and Morris were the only two players in the lineup to play and start in every game this season. The Lions named four players to All-SSC teams, with Kacie Kelly repeating as a first team selection while Ashley Morris, Brittany Creamer, and Shyanne DuBois all landed on the second team.
• Kacie Kelly and Sarah Pauscher were named to the NFCA All-South Region Second Team where they will go on to the All-America ballot. Kelly was also named to the D2CCA All-South Region Second Team as well. 
• The Lions pitching staff went three deep most series, with senior Alison Mitts and junior Auria Mounts carrying the majority of the load. The third member of the staff, Sara Neuman, hasn't logged as many innings as Mitts or Mounts, but the sophomore has a perfect 6-0 record on the season. Mounts came in as a transfer and made an instant impact in the circle. The junior in her first season in the green and gold put up a team-best 15-7 record with a 1.96 ERA. Mitts lead the Lions in innings pitched (143.1), ERA (1.51), and strikeouts (113). Alison Mitts also added a rare feather to her cap by throwing a Perfect Game against Lynn back on March 23.

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.
 
About the Tournament …
The Super Regionals will be held May 17-20 at the highest remaining seed in each regional for a best-of-three series. The overall winner of each super regional advances to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships, May 24-28 at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.