Lions Drop Heartbreaker to Saint Leo

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Mars Hill softball team dropped a heartbreaking 8-7, extra-inning decision to Saint Leo on Saturday afternoon at the Armstrong Tournament. With the loss, the Lions fall to 4-2 on the season.

Mars Hill pushed two runs across in the first inning. Brittany Gibson led off with a single and advanced to second on a bunt single from Cori Dew. Gibson and Dew moved up a base on a Robyn Stanek groundout, with Gibson scoring on a wild pitch by Saint Leo starter Ashley Ehlers. Jamie Hockaday brought Dew home with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Mars Hill had runners on the corners with one out, but Ehlers struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

Saint Leo got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the frame as McKenzie Burns led off the inning with a single and scored on a Cassie Boggs base hit. Saint Leo scored two runs in the second inning, one on an error by Dew and the other on a wild pitch to take a 3-2 lead. Mars Hill tied the score in the third inning on a Shaundee Woosley single that scored Hockaday. Hockaday reached on a one-out walk and moved to third base on a Jamie Booze double.

In the sixth inning, Woosley was hit by a pitch with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Kyara Porche brought her home with a single to center field. Saint Leo answered in the home half of the inning, tying the score at 4 thanks to a Rachel Heath single.

Hockaday was placed at second base to begin the eighth inning thanks to the International Tie-breaker rule and scored on a bunt single by Aleshia Peek. Saint Leo kept the game going on a Jessica LoBianco single.

In the Mars Hill ninth, Hockaday smacked a two-run, two out double, scoring Porche and Stanek for a 7-5 lead. Saint Leo cut the Mars Hill lead to one on a Michelle George single and won the game on a two-run, two out base hit by Brittany Ewing.

Hockaday went two-for-four with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBIs, while Woosley went two-for-three with two singles, a run scored and an RBI. Porche went two-for-four with two singles, a run scored and an RBI.

Ehlers earned her first win of the season, allowing seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in nine innings. Taylor Hussey takes the loss, she allowed eight runs, five earned, on 11 hits with four walks and two strikeouts in 8.2 innings of work

Mars Hill will square off with Saint Leo again on Sunday at 12:30 before wrapping up the weekend tournament with a game against Armstrong at 2:30.