DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The sixth-ranked Saint Leo University softball team made the trip north on I-95 to begin a Sunshine State Conference series at Embry-Riddle. Senior pitcher Tierney Hocquard proved once again why she landed a spot on the NFCA DII Pitcher of the Year watch list pitching a complete game shutout. An RBI base hit by Nia DeBenedittis in the second inning was all the scoring on Friday night in Daytona Beach. The Lions extended their win streak to 26 games and improved to 31-2-1 overall and remain perfect in SSC play at 16-0. Embry-Riddle falls to 16-16 overall and 2-11 in SSC action.

Saint Leo strung together six hits. Izzy LaRoche led the game with two hits, both for extra bases with a double and a triple. Nia DeBenedittis drove in LaRoche for the lone run of the game. Briana Neal, Abigail Hynes, and Ayani Hernandez also recorded a hit.
In the circle, Tierney Hocquard pitched a seven-inning complete game shutout for her 13th win of the season. Hocquard scattered four hits while walking two and striking out five.

#6 SAINT LEO 1, EMBRY-RIDDLE 0
Izzy LaRoche sparked the decisive inning in the second with a lead off triple through the left side. After Maddie Antioco lifted a fly ball to center, Nia DeBenedittis drove a single down the left field line to bring LaRoche home for the game's only run. Ayani Hernandez followed with a single to put two on, but Embry-Riddle turned a double play to stop the inning there.

Tierney Hocquard and the Saint Leo defense made that run stand the rest of the way. Hocquard worked around traffic in the second after Addison Orr singled and Ava Arnold walked, ending the threat with a strikeout of Riley Sullivan. Embry-Riddle also put two runners on in the fifth after a lead off single and another hit with two outs, but Hocquard got a fly out to center to keep the Eagles off the board. She finished the shutout with seven innings, four hits allowed, two walks, and five strikeouts.

Saint Leo threatened for insurance in the sixth when LaRoche doubled and Sommer Spears later stole second, but the one-run lead held up as Hocquard closed out the final two innings to secure the 1-0 win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS – 26 game win streak
26 consecutive wins
189 runs scored by Saint Leo
18 Home runs
.375 team batting average
.176 opponent batting average
171 strikeouts by Saint Leo pitching
1.65 team ERA
13 complete games
13 wins by Tierney Hocquard leads the team in 2026
37 career wins for Hocquard leads the team in active pitchers
 
UP NEXT
Saint Leo and Embry-Riddle return to the diamond on Friday to complete the series with a doubleheader beginning at noon.