GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Santa Fe Softball pitched a shutout in the opener and came back from an early deficit in Game 2 to pick up their first Mid-Florida Conference sweep of the season, 3-0 and 5-4 over visiting Lake-Sumter State College.

GAME 1  - SF 3, LSSC 0

The opener was a pitcher's duel, as both Sophie Abrams for Santa Fe and Jordyn Anderson for Lake-Sumter had their best stuff working from within the circle.

Both pitchers and defenses posted zeros through the first three innings.

Santa Fe struck first in the fourth inning which started with a Story Giebeig walk and Abrianna Hickox single. Riley Schnyder stepped up to the plate with one out and barreled up with a ball to dead center field for her first career home run with the Saints. Schnyder's homer kept on carrying and fought off the wind blowing against it to just clear the fence and drive in three.

Abrams and the defense did the rest. No. 13 retired the final the final seven Lakehawks, and the guests never threatened to mount a comeback with the right-hander in control.

Key Statistics

Abrams's complete game shutout improved her record to 8-5 on the season. It was her seventh complete game of the season. Her final line included just three Lake-Sumter hits, all singles, with just one walk and eight K's in the exceptional outing.

SF had five hits on their way to three runs, and Schnyder's three RBI long ball was the lone extra-base knock, which proved to be a knockout punch.

GAME 2  - SF 5, LSSC 4

The Saints fell behind in the day's second game 3-0 after the first half-inning, as the Lakehawks' bats came out swinging and were also aided by two defensive errors from the Saints. Starter Darian Ingram did well though to recover and record the final three outs via strikeouts after a visit to the circle from the infield and pitching coach Katie Chronister.

In the bottom of the first, SF looked as if it would erase the deficit in the blink of an eye when the first three batters reached safely.

Lake-Sumter escaped the jam with minimal damage, as Giebeig's fielder's choice RBI proved to be the only run the Saints were able to push across.

The Lakehawks went in front 4-1 with another run in the top of the second, and missed opportunities offensively appeared to be the story for Santa Fe all the way up until the fifth inning.

With Ingram finding a rhythm in the circle to keep Lake-Sumter from any more runs, the SF offense broke through to tie the game at 4-4. The Saints loaded the bases with one out, before Schnyder had an RBI single. Brooke Hackim followed her at-bat with an RBI single of her own through the hole at short, and then Madison Dixon pinch hit to account for the game-tying RBI with a well-hit groundout.

Although the Saints were unable to take the lead in the fifth, the momentum had swung, and the go-ahead run came in the sixth. Keeli Zingaro got SF started with a two-out triple, clearing the outstretched glove of the right fielder and hustling around the bases to beat the throw to third.

There was no better hitter for SF to be up with two-outs and a runner in scoring position than Giebeig, the team's RBI leader. She came through in the big moment to find a gap between shortstop and third base with a hard-hit grounder to plate Zingaro and make it 5-4.

Ingram added two more strikeouts in the seventh inning to shut the door and hand the Saints the sweep.

Key Statistics

Hits came from all throughout the lineup, with eight different batters contributing to ten team hits. Zingaro was 2-of-3 with a walk, the triple, and two runs scored, Giebeig drove in two, and Schnyder finished 2-of-4 with an RBI. The other two RBI came off the bats of Hackim and Dixon as SF made their push in the fifth.

Ingram settled in nicely after the opening two innings for the complete game win, improving her record to 9-4. She was dominant over the final five innings of her eighth complete game of the season. She struck out a season-high 13 batters with four hits allowed, four runs (two earned), and two walks.

Up Next

Santa Fe (22-12, 4-2 MFC) will now play five consecutive Mid-Florida Conference series on the road, beginning with a trip to Daytona State College on Saturday, Mar. 26. Game 1 with the Falcons will begin at 1:00 p.m. in Daytona Beach.