Box Score
LAKELAND â€" The 22nd-ranked Saint Leo Lions may be closing in on their first ever Sunshine State Conference title, but Thursday night at Barnett Field, Chelsea Oglevie and the Florida Southern Moccasins nearly knocked them off track. The Lions, however, pushed across the tying run in the top of the sixth inning, and went on to score four times in the top of the 11th to pull out a 5-1 victory that leaves them one win shy of the league title.
Oglevie was in control of the game for most of the night, not allowing a hit until Sarah Steiner singled with one out in the fourth, and giving up only three hits through the first eight innings. Meanwhile, Steiner was equally effective in the pitcher's circle after entering the game to start the fifth, shutting out the Moccasins over the next six innings to get the win when the Lions used four hits, two walks, two steals, and two errors to score their four 11th-inning runs. Steiner herself set up the go-ahead run when she walked leading off the 11th, with Brittany Ewing eventually driving it in for the Lions (38-14, 18-4).
Florida Southern (17-30, 6-16) had the early advantage with seven hits and two walks through the first four innings off Saint Leo starter Alana Tabel. After having a runner thrown out at third in the bottom of the first, and another thrown out at home in the bottom of the third, the Moccasins got their first run in the bottom of the fourth when Khaliah Brown reached on an infield single, took second on a throwing error, and scored on a base hit by Gianni Artidiello. It was one of four hits in the game for Artidiello, who also walked once in her six trips to the plate.
Trailing 1-0, the Lions turned to Steiner in the pitcher’s circle, and the junior who also serves as the Lions’ designated player and #3 hitter in the lineup, allowed just two hits in her 6.0 innings of work, though she needed defensive help in both the eighth and 10th innings to keep the game tied.
With Steiner keeping the Mocs off the board, the Lions were able to tie the game with an unearned run in the top of the sixth after McKenzie Burns led off the inning with a double. Burns ended up at third base with two out, and it looked like she would be left there when Rachelle Gremo hit a pop-up on the infield. The ball was dropped though, allowing Burns to score.
Steiner retired nine of the first 10 batters she faced before the Moccasins put together a threat in the bottom of the eighth when Jordan Alexander singled and Heather Brinkmeier walked to start the inning. Saint Leo catcher Kylee Hardesty helped end it, however, with a pickoff at second base. The Mocs then left two on in the ninth after a pair of walks, one of them intentional to Dayna Hunn, and Brinkmeier was thrown out at the plate in the tenth inning when Kelliann Connors singled into right center with one out.
Backup rightfielder Jackie Carey’s throw to the plate gave the Lions new life, and they capitalized when Steiner walked and Gremo reached on a bunt single to start the top of the 11th. Ewing followed with her single into center that scored pinch-runner Emily Holman to give the Lions a 2-1 lead. With Oglevie out of the game, they later scored on an infield hit by Kelsey LaNeave, a Moccasin error and a double steal by LaNeave and Hardesty.
Oglevie ended up with the loss despite giving up just two earned runs on seven hits in 10.0 innings plus three batters in the 11th. She struck out three and walked two, falling to 11-17.
Steiner improved to 7-1 with the win, giving up two hits, striking out three and walking four. Megan Still finished the game for Saint Leo in the bottom of the 11th.
Florida Southern and Saint Leo wrap up the regular season with a 1:00 doubleheader Friday afternoon at Barnett Field, with the Lions needing one win to secure at least a share of the SSC title.
