LEESBURG, Fla. – Santa Fe Softball was on the road for the second consecutive doubleheader, as they traveled to conference foe Lake-Sumter State College.

The Saints would win the first game of the day by the score of 10-7, but drop the second game 3-0.

Game 1 – SF 10, LSSC 7

The game started with a Jayelyn Carter walk. Grace Prom moved Carter up with a single. After the single, the ball got away from the catcher and both Carter and Prom were able to advance. Next up was Story Giebeig, who drew another walk, loading the bases. Ashlyn Rogers would ground out on her first at bat but not before it brought Carter home for the Saints first run of the game. The next batter, Neely Peterson was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for the second time in the inning. The bases were then cleared when Madison Dixon smashed a grand slam. At the end of the first the score was 5-0 Saints.

Defense and pitching would be the name of game until the fourth, where the Saints would tack on two more runs.

Riley Schnyder was the first Saint to reach after being walked. Carter would reach next after an error on the 2nd baseman, which also moved Schnyder up. Coach Lindsay Fico called the double steal on the next at-bat and it was perfectly executed, moving both runners, Carter and Schnyder over. The bases would again be loaded after Giebeig was hit by a pitch. It was Rogers that get her second and third RBI of the day, with a double, making it 7-0 Saints.

The bats would go relatively quiet again until another big inning that saw three more runs come across the plate for the Saints.

In the seventh Cris'Deona Beasley got the next big inning going, when she hit a ground ball and was able to leg it out for a single. Dixon would move Beasley over to third with another base knock. The Saints would get their second long ball of the game, this time from Shaela Bybee, a three-run homer. After their half of the inning, the Saints would lead 10-0.

The bottom half of the seventh would come with some dramatics, as the Lakehawks would make it interesting. The Lakehawks scored seven quick runs. The Lakehawks then loaded the bases, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. Beasley would thwart those chances with a huge strikeout on a full count.

The Saints would prevail by a final count of 10-7.

Game 2 – LSSC 3, SF 0

The Saints stranded nine on the basepaths, as the Lakehawks seemed to use the momentum they had from the end of game one to carry them to victory in the second game of the day, 3-0.

Grace prom started the game out with a double, followed by a single by Jayelyn Carter. That would be it for the inning as the Lakehawks would get out of it with two strikeouts and a tag out at the plate.

Inning two would get started similarly as the first, with the first two Saints reaching. The Lakehawks defense again would rise to the tes.

The Lakehawks offense would strike in the bottom of the second, scoring two.

Prom would reach again in the third and was moved over by a sac bunt from Carter. Story Giebeig would walked, but the Saints again left runners on base.

The Lakehawks would get one more insurance run in the fifth, and that would be all it took to win. 

The Saints would make it interesting in the seventh, loading the bases, but the Lakehawks pitching would stand up, forcing three fly outs to end the game.

Key Statistics

The Saints would hit two homeruns in game one, including a grand slam by Madison Dixon. Also in game one, Beasley would strike out seven batters while only giving up four hits. Carter, Bybee and Schnyder each had a stolen base.

In game two Taylor Barrett struck out 10 batters. Prom and Brooke Hackim each had doubles. The Saints left nine runners on base, including what would have been the tying runs in the final inning.

Fico's Focus

"We failed to make adjustments at the plate early enough in game two to have a real shot at the win."

"We had multiple chances throughout the game to score but unfortunately left 9 runners on. It's hard to win when the momentum never shifts back your way."

"We have to rest up and get right back to work tomorrow against a very tough Central Florida."

Up Next

Santa Fe (18-9, 8-2 MFC) plays No. 3 College of Central Florida (30-5, 9-1 MFC) on Sunday, March 28 in a reschedule of a March 18 contest.