WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team returned to Sunshine State Conference action on Friday night against Saint Leo at Simpson Field.
The Sailfish took an early lead and held the advantage through the first four innings. The Lions bats awoke in the fifth inning, striking for five runs to take the lead. PBA answered with runs in the sixth and seventh, but it was not enough to retake command. The Lions held on to win game one of the series, 7-5.
The Sailfish offense broke through early in the game. PBA led off the game with three consecutive base hits, including an RBI single to right field by
Larken Maseda to make it 1-0. Later in the inning,
Evoni Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. After a pair of strikeouts,
Olivia Zimmerman came through in the clutch with a single to center field to score Maseda to give the 'Fish a 3-0 lead, knocking the Saint Leo starter out of the game.
Saint Leo tried to get some runs back in the second inning. A leadoff single and a walk put two runners on with no outs.
Lacy Marty forced a groundball to third which
Marli Szierer fielded before stepping on the bag and throwing to first for the double play. After a single and a single with one out in the fourth, SLU was in position to score its first run; however, Maseda gunned down a runner trying to steal second and Rodriguez made the throw home after tagging the first runner to get the second out of the play to end the inning.
The Lions finally broke through in the fifth inning. Five hits, including four with two outs, along with an error and a walk led to a 5-3 lead for the visitors. PBA got one run back in the sixth after a two-out single up the middle by
Anna Wetzsteon to score
Rylee Little.
Unfortunately for the Sailfish, the Lions responded with two runs on the seventh off two hits, one walk, and one error to take a 7-4 lead. PBA got one run in the seventh after a sac fly from Rodriguez, but it was too little too late as SLU held on for the 7-5 win.
The 'Fish finished with nine hits in the game, including two from Wetzsteon. Marty started the game in the circle. She tossed four scoreless innings, giving up three hits and three walks. Chloe Nerva pitched 0.2 innings and was charged with three runs on three hits.
Karen Vasquez finished the game, pitching 2.1 innings.
The Sailfish are back in action on Saturday with a doubleheader against the Lions starting at noon.
