GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Runs were hard to come by in the Santa Fe College softball home opener with the State College of Florida, and the Saints split with the Manatees, taking Game 1 1-0 before falling 3-0 in Game 2.

GAME 1 – SF 1, SCF 0

With Kensley Durrance in the circle, the two teams were entrenched in a pitcher's duel, and the game remained scoreless into the sixth inning.

A GAME-CHANGING PLAY

The performance of Durrance was dominant, and the lone run came from a solo blast to left-center field from Abrianna Hickox.

SCF threatened in the seventh inning to tie, leading off with a triple. After a Durrance K, a key defensive play helped keep the Manatees from finding the winning run. Lily Garnett-Brown collected a ground ball and threw home to Kaya Alexandre, who tagged the runner out with a play at the plate.

TEAM COMPARISON

Each team had just four hits.

Durrance was dominant with nine strikeouts in the complete game shutout, while her counterpart Bostow had a quality outing pitching to contact without recording a strikeout of her own.

SF BATTING LEADERS

Madi Hewitt – 2-2

Abrianna Hickox – 1-3, HR

Lily Garnett-Brown – 1-3

SF PITCHING STATS

Kensley Durrance (W, 2-2) – 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 9 K

GAME 2 – SCF 3, SF 0

The second game was very similar to the first, with the pitcher's duel beginning with Sophie Abrams and Karsyn Rutherford. Rutherford got the better of this one in a complete game shutout of her own.

A GAME-CHANGING PLAY

SCF got the bases loaded with one out in the sixth, and capitalized to bring across the three game-winning runs.

Santa Fe had the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh, but Rutherford induced a flyout to preserve the win.

TEAM COMPARISON

The Manatees had five hits to Santa Fe's three.

The lone error went to Santa Fe, and all of the Saints hits were singles.

SF BATTING LEADERS

Riley Schnyder – 1-3

Story Giebeig – 1-3

Sydney Fowler – 1-3

SF PITCHING STATS

Sophie Abrams (L, 2-2) – 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K

Darian Ingram – 1.1 IP, 3 K

UP NEXT

Santa Fe (4-4) will host Tallahassee for a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 4. Game 1 begins at 1:00 p.m.

Santa Fe College baseball will also be on their home field Saturday, and Big Mill's Cheesesteaks will be there to serve all spectators who would like to get an early-season look at both the SF baseball and softball teams.