LEESBURG, Fla. – In the final doubleheader on the road in the 2022 regular season, Santa Fe Softball held off Lake-Sumter State College 7-6 in the opener before the Lakehawks were able to take Game 2, 8-4.

GAME 1  - SF 7, LSSC 6

After Lake-Sumter took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the next five runs went to the Saints.

A single run came across in the top of the second, after Story Giebeig doubled, advanced to third on a Riley Schnyder single, then touched home plate on an error from the Lakehawks.

Santa Fe tied it up at 2-2 in the third inning on a Keeli Zingaro RBI single, then Giebeig doubled for the second time to score two and make it 4-2.

The lead grew to 5-2 in the fourth when Zingaro had a sacrifice fly to bring in Morgan Lebeda.

The Lakehawks tacked on a run in their next at-bats, but the Saints countered to make it 6-3 in the fifth with an RBI single from Taniah Bowers.

Another Lakehawks error brought the score to 7-3 in the top of the sixth, and SF would prove to need it.

With no outs yet recorded in the bottom of the seventh, Lake-Sumter scored two to cut the deficit in half with a single to center field.

An RBI groundout brought in one more run off starter Sophie Abrams, but Abrams shut the door on the Lakehawks' chances to tie or take the lead with a seventh-inning rally, stranding the tying run at first base with a 5-3 putout

Key Statistics

Abrams' complete game win from the circle improved her record to 11-7. She scattered eight hits while allowing six runs, three earned runs, four walks, and struck out three.

Santa Fe finished with 12 hits. Zingaro, Giebeig, Schnyder, and Lebeda all had two hits, with Giebeig and Zingaro from the 3-4 positions, respectively, driving in two runs apiece. All the extra-base hits came from Giebeig, who stroked two doubles.  

GAME 2  - LSSC 8, SF 4

The first run in Game 2 went to SF in the first frame, when Zingaro connected for an RBI double.

A grand slam from Lake-Sumter in the bottom of the second turned the tone, however, and although SF had a sacrifice fly from Madison Dixon make it 4-2 in the top of the third, another big inning came from the Lakehawks in the bottom half.

After an RBI single scored one, Lake-Sumter chased starter Darian Ingram with a three-RBI double to left field to go comfortably ahead, 8-2.

Calen Hayes pitched well in relief and the Saints scored twice in the final inning, but a comeback was not to be as the Lakehawks got the better of SF for the first time this season.

Key Statistics

Zingaro and Dixon had RBI, with Zingaro hitting a double. Six different hitters had a hit.

Ingram fell to 11-7 from the circle, giving way to Hayes after 2.1 innings pitched.

Hayes got the final 11 outs, allowing just three hits and three walks in 3.2 scoreless innings of work.

Up Next

Santa Fe (29-17, 11-7 MFC) will conclude the 2022 regular season on Sophomore Day at home against Seminole State College (36-19, 12-4 MFC). The doubleheader will likely have postseason implications. The Saints have at least secured a position in the Mid-Florida Conference tournament, but jostling will continue for final seedings over the last week of the season. MFC Standings