GULF SHORES, Fla. – No. 5 Saint Leo softball started off slow on the final day of the Gulf Shores Invitational before heating up to split the weekend. The Lions fell to Delta State 1-0 to start Sunday before finishing off Mississippi College 4-1 to end the weekend.
 
Kacie Kelly led Saint Leo (3-3) on the day going 3-for-6 with one double and one RBI. Auria Mounts, Maddy Lynn, Deanna Falciglia, Shyanne DuBois and Alli Jaquith all registered a hit between the two games with Lynn, DuBois, Bayley Williams and Bailey Burk all registering a run.
 
Auria Mounts pitched 7.0 innings for the Lions, fanning six batters and allowed just one run on four hits. Sara Neuman got the start in game one and pitched five innings with four strikeouts and one run on five hits. Rachel Bean made one appearance for two innings of work allowing just one hit and tallied one strikeout.
 
Game 1 – Delta State 1, #5 Saint Leo 0
Saint Leo and Delta State played a tough one-run game where the Lions fell to the Lady Statesman 1-0. The Lions saw Kacie Kelly go 1-for-2 as Alli Jaquith went 1-for-1 in a pinch-hit appearance.
 
In the top of the sixth, Delta State saw a leadoff single that would then come in to score on a wild pitch.
 
Saint Leo would stay cold and go down in the sixth and seventh falling, 1-0. Sara Neuman got the nod and went 5.0 innings with five hits, one run and one walk while fanning four. Rachel Bean came in in relief and pitched 2.0 innings allowing just one hit, walking three batters and striking out one.
 
Game 2 – #5 Saint Leo 4, Mississippi College
The Choctaws got on the board quick in the bottom of the first and held a 1-0 lead through four innings before the Green and Gold got a break through to get on the board. The Lions put two on the board before adding two more with one in the sixth and one in the seventh.
 
With two outs, a runner on second and Mississippi College trying to add to their lead, Auria Mounts got the batter to hit a grounder towards second where Kacie Kelly made a diving grab towards second base and recorded the final out to keep the game at 1-0.
 
In the top of the fourth, Kelly led off with a single to right field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Morris. Despite having a runner at second with one out, the Lions stranded the runner on base.
 
With the cap off the hitting, Mounts started things off for the Green and Gold with a one-out single. Bailey Burk came in to run for Mounts before Deanna Falciglia drove a ball to left center over the shortstop allowing Burk to round third and tie things at 1-1. Bayley Williams, who came in to run for Falciglia, came around to put the Lions ahead, and what would be the game-winning run on an error by MC.
 
The Choctaws got a runner on third in the bottom of the fifth but Kendyl Crean recorded the unassisted groundout at first to end the inning.
 
Saint Leo kept things going and added a run in the sixth and seventh before Mounts closed the door on Mississippi College for her third win of the year.
 
Up Next
No. 5 Saint Leo will head back to the diamond on Friday, Feb. at 2:30 pm in Clearwater for the NFCA D2 Leadoff Classic. The Lions will take on Azusa Pacific to open the day and finish it off with a rematch with West Florida.   
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo softball team be sure to 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.