January 27, 2018

Gainesville, FL – The FCSAA #9 Santa Fe Saints put up 21 over three games at the Leadoff Classic Saturday in Clearwater, picking up three big wins along the way to start the season 3-0.  The Saints trailed going into the bottom of the seventh in two of the three games and forced extra innings both times, winning in walk off fashion in the eighth in both contests.

SF fell behind 2-0 in the first game of the day against Polk State College, but rattled off 10 straight runs over five innings to end the game in mercy rule fashion 10-2.

Bailee Moll was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, Haissette Escudero was 2-for-2 with three runs, a double, and two RBI, Giulia Fiorentini was 2-for-3, and Kelly Bennett was 1-for-3 with two RBI.  Kaylan Tucker started in the circle and went the distance for her first win of the season.

The Saints will play their home opener on Sunday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m. in double header action against the University of Puerto Rico.

In the second game of the day Abraham Baldwin scored three runs in the first inning and took an early 3-0 lead.  The Saints chipped away in the fourth with a run and tied the game in the seventh on a two RBI single by Kaitlyn Bennett with the bases loaded to tie the score, sending it to extra innings.

ABAC regained the lead in the eighth but it was short lived.  In the bottom of the frame, needing a run to keep the game going, or two to win it, Adriana Garip decided to put two on the board with a pinch hit, one out single, plating Escudero and Moll for the walk off win.

Kaitlyn Bennett lead the offense, going 3-for-5 with two RBI.  Jamie Adams (1-0) pitched all eight innings with five strikeouts for the win.

The third game of the day played itself out much like the second, with the Saints needing a late inning rally for the win. 

Like ABAC the game before, Palm Beach State College scored three runs in the first inning to put SF in a hole early on. 

Santa Fe fought back with two in the third but PBSC pushed the lead out to 5-2 with two in the top of the fourth.  The Saints got one back in the bottom of the inning and completed the comeback in the seventh, scoring two to take it to extra innings.

SF held the Panthers scoreless in the top of the eighth, setting up another walk off win.  In the bottom of the eighth Raelye Rouw knocked in Kaylan Tucker from third with a ground ball to second base, giving SF their third win of the day.

Tucker (2-0) earned her second win of the day, this time in a relief appearance of Tihana Zupanic.  Kaitlyn Bennett had another solid game from the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI. Bailee Moll, Emily Yakel, and Raelye Rouw had two hits each.

The Saints will host their home opener on Sunday, January 29 against the University of Puerto Rico at 10:00 a.m.

Fans can follow along with live stats for every game here. 

For complete schedules, stats, and more information please visit www.santafesaints.com. 

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