SAINT LEO â€" Before most people were even awake Saturday morning, the Florida Southern softball team was off and running. After scoring four runs in the top of the first inning, the Moccasins cruised to a 6-0 win over Maryville (MO) behind a 2-hit shutout by sophomore Lauren Wolfe.

Saturday’s game at the Saint Leo University Challenge had a scheduled 9 a.m. start, and it actually got off a little bit earlier. By the time the clock actually hit 9, the Moccasins (5-9) had already scored twice, and they continued scoring after that. Their four first-inning runs came courtesy of two walks and three Maryville errors, and another error opened the door to two more runs in the top of the third.

Then there was Wolfe (Lithia, FL), who pitched her fourth career shutout, and her second in which she allowed only two hits. The first was a 1-0, 8-inning win over Western Ontario last February 18. Wolfe struck out five, walked one and hit a batter, and got defensive help from leftfielder Khaliah Brown (Groveport, OH) in the third inning when the Saints (2-5) put together their biggest threat.

The Moccasins made Wolfe’s job fairly easy when they capitalized on mistakes by the Saints in the top of the first inning. Junior Gianni Artidiello (Miami, FL) scored the Mocs’ first run on an error after walking and moving to second on a ground out. The same error that allowed Artidiello to score put Heather Brinkmeier (Port St. Joe, FL) on base, and preceded a walk to freshman Leah Pemberton (Valrico, FL). The Saints then committed two errors with junior Allasyn Lieneck (Oldsmar, FL) batting, one allowing her to reach base and Brinkmeier to score, and the other coming on a wild throw that sent Pemberton and Lieneck home for two more runs.

The first hits for Florida Southern came two innings later in the top of the third after Artidiello reached on an error to start the inning. Junior outfielder Dayna Hunn (Morriston, FL) doubled her home, and junior shortstop Christie Bailey (Jacksonville, FL) later singled in Hunn for a 6-0 lead.

Maryville pitcher Julie Jouglard gave up just four hits in the game, which included singles by Lieneck and Bailey in the sixth inning, but was betrayed by her defense which committed five errors, which led to six unearned runs. The senior struck out one and walked four while seeing her record fall to 1-4.

Wolfe, meanwhile, allowed only a third-inning single to Shelby Steinkamp and a fifth-inning single to Danni Wydra. Both runners were stranded at second, but it was Steinkamp’s hit that set up Wolfe’s most difficult challenge.

The Saints had put their first two hitters of the third inning on base with a pair of Moccasin errors, and Steinkamp’s single loaded the bases with none out. Wolfe got Celci Mueller to loft a fly ball down the left field line that was caught by Brown, who fired it home to get Wydra at the plate for a double play. That was as close as Maryville came to scoring against Wolfe, who evened her record at 2-2 for the season.

Florida Southern will play its final game of the Saint Leo University Challenge, and its second game on Saturday, at 1:30 p.m. against Francis Marion (SC).