Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
LAKELAND â€" The Saint Leo Lions became the newest champions of the Sunshine State Conference Friday afternoon at Barnett Field, but the league’s perennial champs didn’t go down without a fight and came awfully close to spoiling the party. For the second day in a row, Saint Leo had to come from behind for a win, defeating Florida Southern 3-2 in game one of the doubleheader, before holding off a Moccasin rally in the bottom of the seventh for a 4-2 win in game two.
The first win on Friday gave the 22nd-ranked Lions (40-14, 20-4) at least a share of the first SSC title in team history, and the second one gave it to them outright, along with an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament. It was quite a turn-around for the Lions, who finished seventh in 2012, and were picked to finish there again this year. Saint Leo is the fifth different school in the last six years to win the SSC and earn its automatic bid, joining Barry (2008), Florida Southern (2009), Rollins (2010 and 2011) and Tampa (2012).
Florida Southern (17-32, 6-18), which has won 24 SSC titles, nearly denied Saint Leo its first, but saw the Lions get a 2-run double from Chelsey Steedley in game one that put them ahead to stay in the top of fourth inning. Then it was a 2-run single from McKenzie Burns in the top of the seventh in game two that proved critical when the Moccasins scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and brought the winning run to the plate.
While the Moccasins played their final games of 2013, the season didn’t end without a few more highlights. Junior third baseman Gianni Artidiello went 3-for-6 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and another spectacular defensive play. Sophomore outfielder Dayna Hunn hit safely in both games and was part of the 7th-inning rally in the nightcap. Junior outfielder Khaliah Brown came up with two hits and an RBI in the opener, and sparked the 7th-inning uprising later with a walk, and sophomore outfielder Cassie Haynes came up big on offense and defense yet again.
It was freshman Leah Pemberton though, who led the Moccasins with four hits in the doubleheader, while the pitching of Lauren Wolfe, Chelsea Oglevie and Lindsay LaChance held the Lions to only three earned runs on the day.
Wolfe (6-11) was the starter in game one and went the distance, allowing two earned runs on just five hits in the 3-2 loss. She also struck out two and walked seven, but it was Steedley who did nearly all of the damage. After getting hit by a pitch in the top of the first inning, the Saint Leo centerfielder stole second and third, and after getting caught between third and home on another stolen base attempt, Steedley scored when the Mocs were unable to complete the play and get the out.
Steedley later delivered her 2-run double with two out in the top of the fourth, driving in Danielle Ferrara who had walked, and Torrie Weindorf, who had reached on a bunt single.
Two of the five hits Wolfe allowed were bunt singles, including one by Rachelle Gremo who also had a double. The only other hit against her was an infield single by Brittany Ewing in the fifth that was hit too far in the hole for shortstop Christie Bailey to have a chance to throw her out.
Saint Leo starter Megan Still didn’t make it out of the third inning after the Mocs reached her for two runs (both unearned) on four hits and a walk. Jordan Alexander singled and scored on a 2-out single by Brown in the bottom of the second, and Artidiello singled and scored on a base hit by Pemberton in the third. Saint Leo committed an error in each of those innings to set up the scoring chances, but relief pitcher Ashley Ehlers (6-2) prevented even more scoring by getting a line drive double play with the bases loaded after Pemberton had given the Mocs the lead.
The Mocs also had the bases loaded in the fifth inning after singles by Artidiello, Bailey and Pemberton, and were denied there when Ewing made a nice play at short to get a force out at the plate. Ehlers got the win with 3.0 innings of scoreless relief before Sarah Steiner pitched the final 2.0 innings for the save.
In game two, Saint Leo got a solo home run from Hardesty in the second inning, but it was one of only four hits allowed by Ogelvie (11-18) in her 5.0 innings of work. LaChance pitched a scoreless sixth inning, but gave up three unearned runs in the top of the seventh when the Mocs had an error and a passed ball. Burns’ single up the middle knocked in the first two runs, and a single by Gremo brought in Burns.
Down 4-0, and with Steiner again trying to close the game out for starting pitcher Alana Tabel, the Moccasins put two on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Brown’s walk and a double by Haynes gave them two base runners with one out, and Brown scored on a run-down play after Artidiello had grounded out to first. After Bailey walked, Hunn then singled hard off the first base bag to drive in Haynes and put runners at first and third. Pemberton nearly kept the game going with another hit to right. However, second baseman Torrie Weindorf made a diving catch just off the dirt for the final out.
Tabel (15-5) picked up the win with 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out three. Still came into the game after Haynes’ double and got the final two outs for her second save.
