SAINT LEO, Fla. – On Friday evening, Saint Leo University unveiled the new name of its softball field, Mary Cannon Cabot Stadium. The Lions softball team christened the newly named field with a 5-1 win in game one of a doubleheader against the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The Lions split the doubleheader as UAH took game two 9-6. Saint Leo moves to 4-2 on the young season in its home opener.

Prior to the doubleheader against the Chargers, during a pregame ceremony Saint Leo was joined by Bob Cabot, Kristin Cabot Brady and her family to unveil the new name, Mary Cannon Cabot Stadium.

Reigning SSC Player of the Week, junior pitcher Haleigh Thomas pitched another complete game for the Lions scattering five hits and allowing one run over seven innings pitched while striking out four. Thomas improves to 2-1 on the season and grew her season strikeout total to 27.

Eight different Lions collected a hit in the opening game. Sydney Cline led the offense with two hits and had three RBI. Bri Neal scored two of the five runs for Saint Leo.

Game two went the Chargers way as the Lions used four pitchers in a 9-6 loss. Freshman Bella DeJulio closed out the game allowing one run on four hits in 3.2 innings pitched while striking out three. Junior Lindsay Corazzini went 3-for-3 at the plate as she belted her first homer in the Green & Gold, a three-run shot to left field, while also flashing the leather at third base.

GAME 1: SAINT LEO 5, ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE 1
Both teams threatened in the first inning looking to take early leads as both teams stranded a pair of runners without scoring.
Saint Leo struck first in the bottom of the third inning as sophomore Sydney Cline reached on a throwing error allowing Haleigh Thomas and Briana Neal to score giving the Lions a 2-0 lead.
A one-out base hit in the top of the fifth by the visitors cut the home team's lead in half.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lions struck big with a two-RBI base hit down the left field line off the bat of Alexis Barber, scoring Neal and Hope Epps for a 4-1 lead. Two batters later, Cline sent an RBI base hit to center that scored Maddie Antioco for the fifth and final Saint Leo run.
Despite the first two Chargers reaching base on a lead-off walk and a base hit to right, Thomas shut closed out the game with a fly out to center, a strikeout looking, and a foul out to first base to earn the victory.

GAME 2: ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE 9, SAINT LEO 6
Unlike the first game, both teams saw their starting pitcher exit in the first inning. The Lions starter allowed four runs on four hits as UAH took a 4-0 lead after its first at-bat. The Lions returned the favor in the bottom half of the first with three runs on a pair of hits and a walk to make it a one-run game after one.
After the visiting team took a 5-3 lead in the top of the third, the home team roared back as Lindsay Corazzini put a ball over the left field wall to turn a two-run deficit into a one-run lead.
The lead was short-lived as the Chargers put up a three-spot in the top of the fourth inning and tacked on another run in the top of the fifth.
Juli Stachowicz made her Lions debut allowing just a trio of walks while striking out two and allowing no hits or runs in 1.1 innings pitched.

UP NEXT
Saint Leo returns on Saturday for a doubleheader against West Alabama. First pitch of game one at Mary Cannon Cabot Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.