SAINT LEO, Fla. – The 20th-ranked Saint Leo University softball team had a very eventful Saturday morning doubleheader against the visiting Mississippi College Choctaws. Game one featured a scoreless game through five complete innings before a combined 13 total runs in the final two innings ended with a walk-off hit for the home team. Game two saw an early 2-0 lead by the visitors turn into a 2-2 game till the top of the seventh, when a three-run shot to straightaway center made it a 5-2 game in favor of the visitors. However, due to a stop time that was agreed upon in pregame, the game ended in a 2-2 tie as the game reverted back to the last completed inning. Saint Leo improves to 4-1-1 overall while Mississippi College heads home with a 5-6-1 record.

Saint Leo erased a four-run deficit and walked off Mississippi College with a 7–6 comeback victory Saturday morning at Mary Cannon Cabot Stadium. The Lions finished with 11 hits, highlighted by multi-hit performances from Maddie Antioco (2-for-3), Abigail Hynes (2-for-4, 2 RBI), and Briana Neal, who added a stolen base. Sydney Cline and Antioco each doubled, while Hailey Beuerlein drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly. In the circle, Bella DeJulio earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit over the final inning to seal the comeback.

The teams played to a 2–2 tie in the second game of the doubleheader, which was halted due to travel constraints. The Lions totaled five hits, led by Marissa Martinez (2-for-3) and Briana Neal, while Abbey Wright tossed a complete six innings in the circle, allowing two runs on six hits. Saint Leo plated both runs in the third inning and held Mississippi College scoreless over the final five completed frames.
 
GAME 1: #20 SAINT LEO 7, MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 6
Both teams were held scoreless through the first five innings as Tierney Hocquard and Mississippi College starter C. Bailey traded zeros. The visitors broke through in the sixth, scoring four runs on a home run and a pair of RBI singles to take a 4–0 lead.

The Lions responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it a one-run game, 4-3. RBI base hits by Abigail Hynes and Hailey Beuerlein got the home team on the board. DeBenedittis made it a one-run game with an RBI sac fly. 

 Mississippi College added two more in the seventh to extend the advantage to 6–3.

The visitors got two quick outs on the first three batters of the bottom of the seventh. Back-to-back RBI base hits by Antioco and Hynes once again put the Lions down by just one. An infield hit by Izzy LaRoche and a walk by Beuerlein loaded the bases, setting up a prime chance to end the game with a victory. Just as she did in the bottom of the sixth, DeBenedittis had a productive at-bat. The junior called game as she sent a ball to centerfield to drive in LaRoche, and Przespolewski for the walk-off win.  

GAME 2: #20 SAINT LEO 2, MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 2 (6 inns.)
Mississippi College jumped out early, scoring twice in the opening inning with RBI singles to take a 2–0 lead. Saint Leo responded in the third, manufacturing runs with speed and situational hitting. Hailey Beuerlein singled and Hannah Durante entered as a pinch runner before Nia DeBenedittis reached on a bunt. Briana Neal laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, setting the stage for an RBI walk from Alexis Barber and a run-scoring groundout by Sydney Cline to even the score at 2–2.

From there, both pitching staffs took control. Wright worked out of traffic in multiple innings, including a scoreless sixth, while Saint Leo's defense limited Mississippi College opportunities. The visitors appeared to take a three-run lead in the top of the seventh on a three-run home run, but due to Mississippi College needing to depart by 2:15 p.m. to catch a flight, the game was ruled complete and reverted back to the last fully completed inning. As a result, the contest officially ended after six innings as a 2–2 tie.

This marks just the second tie in program history, with the first coming during the 1988 season. In 1988, Saint Leo and Florida Tech played to a 7-7 tie in the 10th game of that season.   
 
UP NEXT
Saint Leo heads to Flagler next weekend for four games in two days against three opponents. Saint Leo will take on Chowan (Feb. 13), Valdosta State (Feb. 13-14), and Flagler (Feb. 14).