SAINT LEO â€" Friday afternoon’s doubleheader with the University of North Alabama saw both games decided in the final inning (one of them in extra innings), but Florida Southern was on the short end each time. The Lions scored two unearned runs in the top of the tenth inning for a 2-1 victory in game one, then rallied for two runs again in the top of the seventh to win game two, 3-2.
In game one, the teams combined for only five base runners through the first five innings, with Sara Lovestrand reaching twice for both of Florida Southern’s. The Moccasin leadoff batter was hit by a pitch and bunted into scoring position in the first inning, but stranded at third; she also singled with two out in the third inning and stole second, but was again left on base.
North Alabama (14-11) failed to get a runner past first base in the first five innings, but put together a serious threat in the top of the sixth. With one out, Cassandra McKinney blooped a single over the head of third baseman Ashley Hunt for her second hit of the game and swiped second two batters later. Ally Pridmore was hit by a pitch and a passed ball moved the runners to second and third. Brittany Minton then won a long at-bat with clean-up hitter Andrea Palmer, getting a pop-up to Lovestrand that ended the inning.
The seventh inning saw Florida Southern (23-8) threaten with a one-out single by Angela Williams, and Dani Blake reached with two out in the eighth on a strikeout/wild pitch. Blake stole second and was there when Lovestrand hit a shot up the middle, but it was grabbed by pitcher Jennifer Sexton who threw to first for the final out.
There was more frustration in the bottom of the ninth. The Moccasins loaded the bases with one out on a walk to Lindsey Powell, a base hit by Williams and an intentional walk to Natalie Lang. Sexton got out of it though by striking out Elli Howell and getting a ground ball off the bat of Ashley Hunt.
With the game moving to the tenth inning, the international tie-breaker was used, with a runner placed at second. The Lions elected to bunt that runner to third, but the ball ended up getting by the pitcher’s circle and rolled through the infield, allowing Heather Suddoth to score all the way from second. Sarah Whitlow then put down another bunt that moved the new runner into scoring position, and that one also scored on an error to give UNA a 2-0 lead.
Florida Southern got its tie-breaker in too when a ground ball by pinch-hitter Christine Clark plated Hunt, but the Mocs could do nothing else against Sexton. The junior finished the game with only three hits allowed, striking out 10 and walking two. She improved to 7-4 and dropped her ERA to 1.04.
Minton (8-4) suffered the loss for Florida Southern, even though she too gave up only three hits and no earned runs.
The second game began on a dark note for the Moccasins when McKinney was hit by a pitch to start the game, giving the Lions a scoring chance right out of the gate. They capitalized when Whitlow bunted her to second, she took third on a play involving catcher’s interference, and came home on a fly ball by Palmer.
The Moccasins also scored their first run without a hit in the bottom of the second inning. A bases-loaded walk by Blake forced in Lang, who had reached on an error earlier in the inning. It was one of three walks issued by UNA pitcher Anna Ard in the inning.
The Mocs took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, again with the help of a UNA error that put Peggy Alex on base with one out. Alex moved to second on a wild pitch and later scored on a base hit by Lang.
North Alabama put together its rally in the top of the seventh inning, starting with a leadoff single by Kathryn Young. A one-out bunt single by Jordan Broadfoot (her second bunt single of the game) gave the Lions their second base runner. Pinch-hitter Amberly South then singled to center, but pinch-runner Heather Suddoth was forced to hold at third when Blake got to the ball quickly for the Moccasins.
Still with only one out in the inning, the Mocs replaced starting pitcher Christine Clark with Morgan Brown and nearly got out of trouble. Blake made a running catch in left center for the second out, again keeping Suddoth at third, but Pridmore followed with a single into left field to bring her in for the tying run. A wild pitch then allowed Broadfoot to score the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the seventh, it was North Alabama that went to the bullpen, bringing in Sexton, the game one winner. She immediately walked Alex and a bunt by Powell moved her to second. Sexton got the second out before Lang hit a high chopper off the plate for an infield hit, but Howell flied out to left to end the game.
Ard upped her record to 3-1 with the win and Sexton’s save was her second of the year. Clark took the loss for Florida Southern, falling to 6-3.
The 24th-ranked Moccasins will be back at Saint Leo again on Saturday for a noon doubleheader with #2 Alabama-Huntsville.
