
Softball Starts Mid-Florida Conference Play with Split
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Mid-Florida Conference play began for Santa Fe Softball, as the Saints hosted the conference's defending champion in the College of Central Florida Patriots, who were receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Poll.
The Saints were able to take Game 1 in a high-scoring, 11-7 affair before the Patriots claimed Game 2 via the run-rule, 8-0 in six innings.
GAME 1 - SF 11, CF 7
The Saints outlasted CF in what was a marathon first game.
SF scored two or more runs in four of their six at-bats, and came ready to play in the conference opener.
After Darian Ingram struck out three Patriots in the first inning, three runs came across in the bottom of the frame for SF. Story Giebeig cleared the fence in center field for a three-run bomb, her tenth home run of the season.
CF scored one run in the second inning, but the Saints responded with three more runs to take a 6-1 lead. Keeli Zingaro had a two-run home run of her own.
The Patriots were able to have a productive fifth inning, and SF brought in Kaylie Araujo to pitch. Although CF was able to trim their deficit to two, 6-4, the Patriots stranded a runner on third base.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ayanna Woodard blasted a solo home run, her second of the season. SF then proceeded to extend the lead to 8-4 when Riley Schnyder walked and then scored on an RBI single from Jayelyn Carter.
In the bottom of the sixth, three more insurance runs were tacked on by SF to take a 11-4 lead. Brooke Hackim had an RBI single, and Carter drove in two with a double.
The insurance runs proved to be much-needed, as things got a bit dicey in the seventh.
CF drew to within four runs, 11-7, but Araujo induced a lineout for the final out of the game to preserve the victory.
Key Statistics
Ingram was the winning pitcher, improving to 8-3 on the season. Her final line in four innings of work included three earned run, three walks, and seven strikeouts.
Araujo was credited with the save, working her way through the final three innings from the circle.
The offense was prolific, producing 11 runs on 12 hits, ten RBI, and nine walks. The leadoff hitter Carter went 3-of-4 with a walk, three RBI, a double, and a run scored. Schnyder was 2-of-3 with two doubles, a walk, and a team-high three runs scored, while Giebeig, Zingaro, and Woodard all showed off some pop with their home runs to spark SF.
GAME 2 - CF 8, SF 0 (6 INN.)
The Saints were shutout for the first time in the 2022 season in Game 2.
The Patriots raced out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, highlighted by a three-run home run.
CF tacked on the game's final three runs in the sixth, once again capitalizing with runners on base with a three-run homer.
In the bottom of the sixth, SF needed to produce a run to stay alive, but the Saints were set down in order to conclude the day's play.
Key Statistics
The Patriots' pitcher Savannah Barnett was dominant, and held the SF bats to just one hit with three walks and a hit batter.
Sophie Abrams fell to 6-5 on the year from the circle, allowing five earned runs in the first. Ingram threw the final five frames and had a heavy workload on the day,
Brooke Hackim had the only hit for SF, a single.
Up Next
Santa Fe (19-11, 1-1 MFC) hosts Mid-Florida Conference foe St. Johns River State College on Saturday, Mar. 19. The first pitch of Game 1 is set for 1:00 p.m.