TAMPA, Fla. – Saint Leo University Softball opened conference play at #5 Tampa on Friday evening. The Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Spartans tied the game in the later innings with a two run homer and eventually walked off on the Lions in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 win. Saint Leo drops to 7-4 overall and 0-1 in SSC play while the Spartans are now 8-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Haleigh Thomas pitched five scoreless innings before succumbing to a trio of runs in the final two innings. Thomas scattered six hits across 6.1 innings pitched while striking out six and walking four. Briana Neal went 2-for-3 at the plate with a two-RBI doubles as the only scoring play for the Green & Gold. Marissa Martinez, Shyanne Waller, and Hope Epps accounted for three of Saint Leo's five hits.

#5 TAMPA 3, SAINT LEO 2
The first six Saint Leo batters were retired before a pair of no-out base hits in the third inning set the Lions up for the first scoring play of the game. With one out and runners on second and third, Neal hit a double to bring home both runners for the 2-0 Saint Leo lead.
The Spartans had scoring chances in both the first and second innings but Thomas kept her composure to strand the runners keeping the home team off the board.
Tampa used a two-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2.
After retiring the Lions in order in the top of the seventh, the Spartans capitalized on a dropped fly ball in the out field to put the winning run on base. With one out and a runner on third, the Spartans called game with a base hit to left to score the winning run.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Leo is back at #5 Tampa on Saturday, February 15 to finish up its three-game series with the Spartans. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.