Sarasota, FL- On Thursday, the Saints softball team traveled south for another conference mathup against the Manatees of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. The Manatees really tested the Saints defensively. However, the Saints withstood the test and took down the Manatees in a series sweep. 

How It Happened 

Game 1

It was a defensive battle with both teams establishing a strong presence inside the circle. Ryleigh Bauer started out in the circle for the Saints. She pitched nine innings and recorded only four hits, one earned run, one walk and seven strikeouts. Mallory Forrester came in relief for the final two innings (10th and 11th), striking out two. 

Julianna Stachowicz pitched a complete game for the Manatees. She recorded one earned run and struck out nine batters. 

Remarkebly, neither team scored in the first eight innings. In the ninth inning, Ariana Wright started things off for the Saints by hitting a double to right field. Madi Conway followed suit by hitting a double of her own to score Wright. Also in the ninth inning, Alissa Kessler doubled on a line drive to center field to score Ryleigh Bennett to tie the score 1-1. This caused the game to go into extra innings. 

In the 11th inning, Jayla Clark layed down a sacrifice bunt to advance Sydney Fowler to third base. Ariana Wright hit a sacrifice fly to to right field to score Fowler and take a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the 11th, the Saints played staunch defense garnering three straight outs to end the game. Santa Fe collected a total of five hits while the Mantaees collected four hits.         

Game 2

Mallory Forrester stood in the circle and pitched a full seven innings for the Saints. She recorded four hits, one earned run, and two strikeouts. Ryleigh Bennett started in the circle for the Mantees going seven innings as well. She recorded four earned runs and nine strikeouts.    

In the first two innings, both teams went three up and three down. In the top of the third inning, the Saints scored the game's first run after Sydney Fowler singled on a hard ground ball to left field to score Karris Rhine. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Mantees scored their first run after Alissa Kessler hit a solo home run to center field.  

The rest of the Saints' runs came in the top of the sixth inning as the they would score three. The Manatees would be shut out in the final innings leaving the score at 4-1.

Comments From Coach Webster

"Our pitching held us in the game until we were able to capitalize and get on top. We had a great performance on defense in the circle and timely hitting from our middle to bottom of the line up. Two big wins on the road."

Up Next

The Saints will face NJCAA #3 Florida Southwestern State College at home on Saturday, March 16th in a doubleheader (1PM and 3PM EDT).