Gainesville, FL– On Thursday, Saints softball faced Tallahassee Community College at home for a doubleheader. Earlier this season, the Saints split the doubleheader with the Eagles in Tallahassee. The Saints defeated the Eagles 12-0 in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader and defeated the Eagles 6-1 in the second game. The Saints record improves to 8-5.

How It Happened

Game 1

Ryleigh Bauer started on the mound for the Saints. She caught three hitters looking throughout the game with an additional two strikeouts swinging. In the top of the first inning, she escaped with bases loaded, allowing zero runs. In total, she gave up a mere three hits in the five-inning game and allowed no runs.

Offensively, the Saints had a huge first inning, scoring eight of their 12 total runs. Sydney Fowler and Kamaya Cohen scored the first runs of the game on Ariana Wright's RBI triple (line drive down the right field line). Wright would eventually score on Alexis Daphney's sacrifice fly later in the inning. Next, Juliann Smith followed suit with a double (left field line drive) and ultimately scored on Karris Rhine's sacrifice fly. In the same inning, Gabrial Miles had a single on a base hit up the middle, advancing to second on Madi Conway's base hit single. Miles eventually scored on Aliana Mercado's RBI double (which also advanced Conway to third base). Both Conway and Mercado scored on a single by Sydney Fowler. At the end of the inning, Kamaya Cohen had a left field single and scored Fowler by getting in a rundown between first and second base. The team had seven hits in the first inning.

The rest of the Saints' dominating offense occurred in the third inning. The team scored four more runs and had three more hits. Gabrial Miles hit a double down the right field line and advanced to third base when Aliana Mercado hit a line drive to the shortstop that was caught. The shortstop attempted to throw Miles out at second, but the ball was overthrown, and Miles took third. Sydney Fowler then hit an RBI single to left field that scored Miles. Fowler scored on a fly ball to left field that was hit by Kamaya Cohen (in which Cohen made it to second base). Cohen then stole third base and scored on a two-run home run by Ariana Wright.

The final score of the first game of the doubleheader was 12-0.

Game 2

In Game 2, Alexis Daphney started on the mound for Santa Fe. She had one strikeout swinging in the top of the first inning, allowing no hits or runs. In the top of the second, she continued this streak giving up no runs or hits again.

In the third inning, Madi Conway had a huge defensive play when a line drive was hit her way, throwing the baserunner out at first, robbing TCC of a hit. The rest of the inning resulted in zero hits and runs for the Eagles.

After two walks with no outs in the top of the fourth inning, Peyton Bass was put in as relief for Daphney. Bass had one strikeout swinging this inning and gave up no hits or runs. In the top of the fifth inning, Bass allowed zero hits and zero runs. In the top of the sixth inning, Bass allowed two hits and one run (putting the Eagles on the board) but had two strikeouts. Mallory Forrester came in as the closer in the top of the seventh inning. Forrester struck out her first batter of the inning. Forrester earned her second out of the game on another strikeout. The last out of the game occurred on a caught fly ball to Kamaya Cohen in left field.

Offensively, the Saints had no hits or runs in the first inning. In the second inning, Juliann Smith made it to first base on an error by the third baseman. Ultimately, the Saints were unable to capitalize on this baserunner as they had no hits or runs for the second inning in a row. During the third inning, Madi Conway hit a solo home run to put the Saints on the board. In the same inning, Aliana Mercado had a triple on a bunt due to a throwing error at first base. She then scored on an RBI single by Sydney Fowler. Next, Ariana Wright hit a two-run home run, scoring Fowler and herself. Alexis Daphney made it to third base on a fly ball to right field that resulted in an error. Up next, Juliann Smith was safe at first base, beating the throw on a ground ball hit to the shortstop. She would advance to second on a steal. Karris Rhine was then walked, loading the bases. Gabrial Miles then had an RBI single to right field that scored Daphney, but Smith was thrown out at home on the same hit (Rhine advanced to third). With two outs, the catcher attempted to throw Miles out when she stole second base, but she was safe, which resulted in Rhine scoring on the throw down.

In the fourth inning, Sydney Fowler hit a single up the middle and eventually stole second, but the inning resulted in no runs. In the bottom of the fifth, the Saints had no hits or runs. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Saints again had no hits or runs.

The final score of the second game of the doubleheader against TCC was 6-1. The Saints won both games today.

Up Next

The Saints will play away on Saturday, February 24^th. They will play Gulf Coast State College and Chipola College at 1:15PM and 3:30PM EST.