Spartans Upset No. 4 Lions in Extra Innings

SAINT LEO, Fla. –  The 25th ranked University of Tampa softball team traveled to Saint Leo, Fla. for its second to last road trip of the regular season to take on the No.4 ranked Saint Leo University Lions. The Spartans took the first game of the series 2-1 over the Lions to snap their 11 game winning streak and hand them their first home loss of the season. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Tampa 2 (W: Makaleigh Dooley 15-5), Saint Leo 1 (L: Adkins 19-4) 
Records: Spartans (25-8, 12-4 SSC), Lions (34-8, 15-4 SSC)
Location: University Softball Stadium | Saint Leo, Fla.
All-time Series: Tampa trails in the all-time series 45-55 to Saint Leo
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HOW IT HAPPENED:

Top 1st: Elly Pillers started off the game with a bang as she hit a solo home run to right field that gave the Spartans a 1-0 lead.

Bottom 4th: The Lions tied the game on a single up the middle that scored a runner from second base. 

Bottom 7th: Saint Leo appeared to win the game on a walk-off single to right-center field but the home plate umpire ruled that players from the home dugout had reached the infield prior to the winning run crossing the plate and ruled it an out and the play dead due to bench interference and Dooley got the next batter out to extend the game.

Top 9th: Pillers gave her team the lead again as she hit another solo shot past the fence in right-center field for the 2-1 lead and the win.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Pillers is the fifth Spartan to hit a home run and is now tied for second on the team with two.
• Dooley and a strong defense held the Lions to just one run despite the home side recording 11 hits.
• Dooley and Adkins finished with nearly the same exact stat line as the Spartans pitcher gave up 11 hits to Adkin's 10, both struck out six batters, both pitched nine innings, and Adkins gave up two runs to Dooley's one.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• This was the first game since February 18 in which the Spartans hit a home run.
• Tampa has recorded back to back games with double-digit hits.
• UT has gone six games in a row with at least one walk drawn.
• The Spartans are now 3-1 in extra-inning games.

UP NEXT:

The team will be back on the field tomorrow as they wrap up the series against SLU with a doubleheader slated for a 5:00 p.m. start.

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