MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—The Barry Buccaneers were swept 8-5 and 6-5 by the seventh-ranked Saint Leo Lions on Saturday in a Sunshine State Conference softball doubleheader at Buccaneer Field.
In the first game, the Bucs (14-13, 8-6 SSC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but fell 8-5. It was the most runs that the Lions have allowed all season. They came into the game allowing just seven earned runs in 28 games.
Barry got on in the first. Kayla Ogle beat out an infield single and score on a sacrifice fly by Dee Espinosa.
In the third, Alayna Gallagher led off and was hit by Lion pitcher Alana Tabel. One out later, Megan Copeland moved her to third on an infield single. Cheyanne Head dropped down a squeeze bunt to score Gallagher and reached when the Lions failed to get an out. After a walk to Espinosa, Lynsey Duncan hit into another fielder's choice with the Lions unable to record an out, allowing Copeland to score.
But Saint Leo (29-1, 14-1 SSC) stormed back. Ciera Schumaker doubled to lead off the fourth and Brittany Creamer drove her in with a single to left.
In the fifth, Bailey McKenna led off with a solo homer and Geneva Santos came in to relieve Duncan. Tiffany Thompson singled off Santos and Rachel Heath followed with a walk. Brooke Samios-Uy singled, driving in Thompson to tie the game 3-3.
In the seventh, the Lions scored five runs, on three hits and four Buccaneer errors.
Duncan drove in Copeland and Espinosa in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all the Bucs could muster.
Stephanie Adkins (13-1) earned the win in relief of Tabel. She tossed 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and struck out five. Anieliese Palmeiro (5-3) took the loss for the Bucs. In 1.2 innings, she allowed a pair of unearned runs, walked one and struck out one.
In the nightcap, which was delayed over five hours by lightning and rain in the area, the Bucs again started strong and led 3-0 and 5-4 before falling 6-5.
In the first inning, the Bucs jumped all over Lion starter Samantha Tyler, who came into the game as the nation's leader in ERA. Ogle and Copeland both had singles to lead off and Espinosa was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Duncan had an RBI single and Sam Busekrus followed with a two-run single.
After the Lions came back to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the second on five walks and a Samantha Ohmie home run, Head grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the frame, belting a two-run homer, the first of her career.
But the Lions tied it in the fifth on an RBI single by Ohmie and pushed across the winning run in the seventh on a single by Creamer.
Adkins earned the win in relief again, working three scoreless innings behind Tyler. She allowed three hits and a walk and struck out two. Duncan (0-3) took the loss for the Bucs, pitching six innings and allowing five runs on five hits and five walks.
It was the first time that Barry had been swept in a three-game conference series since 2010 when #10 Rollins took all three.
The Bucs travel to St. Petersburg, Fla., next weekend to face the Eckerd College Tritons.
