ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The four-day opening weekend ended how it started: with a win.
On Thursday, the Flagler College softball team began its season with a victory over Urusline College and added another to the win column Sunday with a 4-3 win over the Arrows at Flagler Field to wrap a five-game homestand.
The Saints (3-2) started hot via the bat of
Kyleigh Taylor as she crushed her second home run of the weekend to put the home team up 2-0 in the first inning. The catcher had two of the five Flagler hits, with the other being a double. The Arrows (0-4) cut the lead in half in the top of the second when pitcher Ashlee Zientek (L, 0-2) doubled down the right-field line to score Alyssa Baratta, and then the Saints answered in the third.
This time it was transfer
Bella Munoz with the RBI as the Cali shortshop singled up the middle to score the speedy
Valerie Beltre, who was walked and stole second to put herself into scoring position. Ursuline tied up it up in the next half inning when lead-off hitter Jovanna Herrera doubled, but then the Arrows' fielding miscues awarded the Saints with what would be the game-winning run in the fourth.
Back-to-back errors put
Morgan Murphy on base and advanced her before consecutive wild pitches moved her and scored the senior for the 4-3 lead. Ursuline threatened in the fifth, but
Kyra Gipson (S: 1) came into relieve
Madelyn Wise (W, 1-1) and keep the one-run lead safe. In all, the Saints stuck out seven with Wise having five and Gipson with a pair, while Pagie Maseda and
Mackenzie Smith recorded hits along with Taylor and Munoz.
Up Next: Flagler will travel to the Carolinas for its next games as the Saints face Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 20 in a doubleheader before heading another South Atlantic Conference school in Newberry, South Carolina (Newberry College) Sunday, Feb. 21 for two games.
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