ST. LEO, Fla.—The Barry Buccaneers went into the Lions' den and swept a Sunshine State Conference softball doubleheader from Saint Leo on Sunday at University field by identical 7-2 scores.
In game one, the Bucs (14-5, 2-0 SSC) fell behind 2-0, but rallied for seven unanswered runs to take the opener. Julie Brito hit a massive three-run homer as part of a five-run fifth inning to key the offense. She finished the game 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI.
Haley Wiseman (7-2) went the distance to pick up the win. She held the high-powered Lions' offense, which came into the game batting .388, to just two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks, while striking out eight. Ashley Ehlers (3-3) took the loss for Saint Leo. She went 4.2 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits and struck out three.
In game two, Barry jumped on top early and never let up. Dee Espinosa smashed a two-run double in the first inning and added a three-run double in the fourth as part of a five run explosion. She went 2-for-5 and drove in five.
Taylor Sabol (4-3) worked a complete game on just 90 pitches, holding the Lions to two runs on six hits and a walk. She struck out four. The Bucs hung the first loss of the season on Lion starter Alana Tabel (6-1). She went the distance, but allowed seven runs (three earned) on 11 hits and four walks and did not strike out a batter.
In the first game, the Bucs spotted the Lions single runs in the first and second innings. Brito cut the lead in half with a RBI single in the fourth, scoring Alayna Gallagher. Gallagher reached base all nine trips to the plate in the twinbill, going 6-for-6 with two walks and was hit by pitch once.
The Bucs started the fifth inning with a double from Ashley Fernandez and she went to third on a wild pitch by Ehlers. But she was stuck there two outs later until Megan Copeland came through with a base hit to tie the game. After Gallagher singled and Copeland scored on an error by Lions, Samantha Tyler came on in relief of Ehlers. Brito deposited the second pitch she saw over the centerfield wall.
In the seventh, Hunter Mars led off with a double and scored on a squeeze bunt from Espinosa.
In the second game, the Bucs did all their damage in two innings. In the first, Copeland and Gallagher started off with singles and Espinosa cashed both of them in with a double to right center. In the fourth, Mars and Copeland reached on back-to-back errors and Gallagher drew a walk. Espinosa drilled a double to left center to score all three and later scored herself on an error by the shortstop. Lexi Corrente capped the scoring with an RBI single to score Cheyanne Head.
In addition to Gallagher's 6-for-6 day, Copeland had four hits and Mars had three in the doubleheader.
The series concludes on Monday at 4:00 pm with a single game at University Field.
