SAINT LEO, Fla. – The top-seeded and top-ranked Saint Leo softball team won the first game of its best-of-three series versus UAH in the NCAA Division II South Super Regional on Thursday afternoon in Mary Cannon Cabot Stadium.
After retiring the side in order in the top of the first, the Lions grasped a 6-0 in the bottom of the first. Senior
Briana Neal gave the Green & Gold a 1-0 lead after scoring on a passed ball followed by junior
Alexis Barber scoring on a wildpitch to extend the Lions advantage to 2-0. Junior
Izzy LaRoche drove in a run with a single to center field, 3-0. Junior
Alex Wright gave Saint Leo a 4-0 cushion with an RBI-single to right field that brought LaRoche across the plate. The six-run spot was capped off by a two-run double by junior
Nia DeBenedittis to left field.
In the second, the Chargers answered as they trimmed their deficit to 6-1. UAH scored a pair in the third from a home run to cut the Saint Leo lead to 6-3. For the remainder of the game, the Chargers were held at bay as the Green & Gold secured the first victory of the series.
In the circle, senior
Tierney Hocquard started and pitched 3.0 innings. She struck out a pair of batters while allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits and issued one walk. In relief, Wright pitched 4.0 innings, recorded one strikeout and only surrendered two hits to collect the victory.
The Lions will continue their series against UAH tomorrow, Friday, May 22 with Game 2 of the Super Regional starting tomorrow at 1 p.m.
