SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo softball split its doubleheader with Tampa in walk-off fashion as Amanda James stole the show on the opening night of senior weekend propelling the Lions to a 4-1 win in eight innings in game two at University Softball Stadium. Saint Leo dropped game one 5-1 before bouncing back to take game two evening out the series at one game apiece.

Records
Saint Leo - 31-15, 20-9 SSC
Tampa – 31-11, 21-8 SSC 

Amanda James paced the Green and Gold going 3-for-7 from the plate with one double and one homer and three RBI. Kendyl Crean, who picked up two hits on the day, matched James in extra base knocks with a double and homer of her own with one RBI. Crean led the Lions in runs scored with two in the two games Thursday. Sarah Pauscher added two hits while Deanna Falciglia, Kacie Kelly, Ashley Morris and Shyanne DuBois all tallied one hit. 

Rachel Bean, Sadi Avants, and Auria Mounts all made an appearance for the Green and Gold in the circle where Mounts got the start in game one and went the distance. Avants started game two and pitched seven strong innings before Bean came in to close out the game and eventually took the win. 

Amanda James' walk-off home run during senior weekend is a flashback to her freshman season when she hit a pinch hit grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Rollins on April 28, 2017 in final regular season home series.
 
Sadi Avants fanned five batters in game two to earn a season-high surpassing her four games with four strikeouts.

Game 1 – Tampa 5, Saint Leo 1
After two scoreless frames, Tampa used a three-run homer and a two-run homer to propel itself to a 5-0 lead before Kendyl Crean got the Green and Gold on the board with a solo shot to straightaway center field in the fourth inning.
 
Neither team would score after the fourth inning, where the Lions left two runners on and the Spartans four.
 
Auria Mounts tossed the complete game allowing the five runs, two earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts.
 
Game 2 – Saint Leo 4, Tampa 1 (8 inns.) 
Saint Leo jumped on the board first with a run in the second before Tampa answered with one late in the sixth inning on a leadoff home run. The Lions used a walk-off three-run home run in the eighth inning to even the series at 1-1.
 
Sarah Pauscher started the eighth inning rally with a one-out base knock up the middle before moving to third on a first pitch double by Kendyl Crean. With one out and runners in scoring position, Amanda James took the 1-0 pitch deep to left field and ended the game with one swing of the bat in walk-off fashion.
 
In the top of the eighth,  Rachel Bean put the Spartans down in order after taking over for Sadi Avants, who tossed the full seven innings prior allowing just one run on three hits and five strikeouts.

Up Next
Saint Leo and Tampa will take the field for the series finale at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26 with senior festivities to follow after the game.
 
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.