BOCA RATON, Fla. – The #13 Saint Leo University softball team bounced back from a tough opening game setback Saturday afternoon, defeating Lynn 8-2 in Game One and 5-0 in Game Two to take the series over the Fighting Knights at Lynn University Softball Field.
 
Game One: #13 SLU 8, LYNN 2
Saint Leo had a productive seventh inning, scoring five runs in a contest that was otherwise close.  Junior infielder Alyssa Perez led the Lions' batters, hitting 2-for-4 at the plate, recording three RBIs.  The Green & Gold tallied a total of seven steals, its second-highest season mark, as Freshman infielder Briana Neal owned two.
 
Freshman Tierney Hocquard got the start in the pitcher's circle, but Freshman Ainsley Perdicaris (2-0) subdued Lynn () at the plate, allowing only one hit with two walks and three strikeouts in six and two-third innings pitched.
 
Similar to Friday, Saint Leo started with a 2-0 lead, courtesy of a Perez 2RBI single that brought in Neal and Fifth-year outfielder Bayley Williams.  The lead would not last long as Lynn found a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game 2-2.  With one out in the opening inning and the bases loaded, Perdicaris came in relief for Hocquard and escaped a critical jam.
 
The Lions retook the lead 3-2 in the third inning when Bianca Polistina capitalized with a RBI double, bringing in Junior infielder Alexandra Hare for the go-ahead run.
 
A leadoff walk from Sophomore infielder Shyanne Waller kicked off a five-run inning fiesta for the Lions in the top of the seventh, highlighted by a RBI hit from Freshman utility Haleigh Thomas.  Sacrifice plays took care of most of the runs before Saint Leo finished off its scoring spree with Hare stealing home and Neal coming in off a RBI double by Perez to seal the 8-2 win.
 
Game Two: #13 SLU 5, LYNN 0
Williams was a key component in another Lions' shutout win, hitting 2-for-3 from the dish with one RBI, one run scored, and two stolen bases, as the Lions outhit the Fighting Knights 5-1.
 
Junior pitcher Kayla Betts (19-2) got a second chance at Lynn's batting lineup, returning to peak form with another complete game to allow one hit with one walk while striking out 13.
 
The Green & Gold found its first run in the second off Williams' lone RBI before extending the lead 2-0 in the third from a wild pitch by Lynn's Faith Miller.
 
Perez's groundout to second base paved the way for Hare to head home for a 3-0 lead in the fifth.  The final pair of runs came in the sixth inning, as Fifth-year utility Kendyl Crean's sacrifice fly brought home one run before Sophomore outfielder Hope Epps delivered a RBI to put the score at 5-0.
 
The Lions return home for its next Sunshine State Conference series matchup against Eckerd; the first pitch at University Softball Stadium is slated for 6 p.m.
 
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