Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LAKELAND, Fla. – The #18 Saint Leo University softball team took home two more wins Saturday afternoon to reach the 30-win milestone for the first time in four seasons, prevailing 1-0 in eight innings before following up with a dominant 13-1 win at Chris Belloto Field to sweep the series against Florida Southern.
 
Game One: #18 SLU 1, FSC 0 (8 inn.)
For the second time this week, Saint Leo (30-5, 13-2 SSC) played into extra innings, but this time it was the Lions who came out on top as Freshman utility Haleigh Thomas walked home Freshman Grace Dunsworth in the eighth for what would become the game-winning run for the Green & Gold before Florida Southern (16-17, 5-10 SSC) went 1-2-3 against Junior pitcher Kayla Betts (15-1).
 
The Lions tallied seven hits in the defensive slugfest, led by Junior infielder Alyssa Perez and Sophomore Hope Epps who both went 2-for-4 at the plate.
 
Junior pitcher Morgan Shannon started the contest and pitched a full five innings to allow two hits with one walk and three strikeouts.  Betts also fanned three in her three innings in the circle while giving up one hit.
 
Game Two: #18 SLU 13, FSC 1 (5 inn.)
Saint Leo used its momentum from the first game to fuel the bats in a run-scoring fiesta for the Lions that lasted just five innings.  Perez connected on 2-of-3, picking up a pair of RBIs while Junior catcher Madyson Coe hit 2-for-2, also bringing in two RBIs as the Green & Gold made 14 total hits.
 
Freshman pitcher Tierney Hocquard (2-1) handled the hitting unit of Florida Southern, conceding three hits, two walks, one run, and fanned four on the day.
 
Five batters in, Perez got Saint Leo on the board with a RBI single for the quick 1-0 lead before the team added three more runs in the third, highlighted by a 2RBI single from Epps.
 
Saint Leo poured it on in the fourth with a five-run inning to extend its lead 9-0, fueled by another 2RBI hit from a Coe double.
 
Even the pinch hitters for the Green & Gold contributed to the RBI count, as Junior Ciara Ford and Fifth-year Kendyl Crean each recorded a RBI from a double and hit-by-pitch, respectively, in the fifth inning.
 
Saint Leo will have its hands full this weekend, as the Lions return home to host RV Nova Southeastern for a three-game, Sunshine State Conference series.  First pitch at University Softball Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
 
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