ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Kyra Gipson tossed her 12th career shutout, while
Alyssa Velez crushed her team-leading sixth home run to pace the Flagler College softball team in the first game of the doubleheader split with the No. 20-ranked University of West Florida, 2-0 and 7-0, at Flagler Field Thursday.
The Saints (12-16) will now prepare for No. 9-ranked Young Harris as the Mountain Lions come to town for a Sunday doubleheader, beginning at noon on Flagler Field.
Gipson (10-5) had quite the historic Thursday. The senior's 12th career shutout tied for the most in program history, alongside Kalyn Loveside (2011-14), while she became just the second ever pitcher to have 40 wins for Flagler. The senior kept the Argonauts' bats in check as they had five hits versus the righty over seven innings of work and struck out six times. It's her second shutout of a ranked team this year, with the other being versus then-No. 12 Valdosta State University on Feb. 5.
Alyssa Velez hit the game-winning home run in the sixth inning, putting it up and over the left-field wall and scoring
Morgan Murphy, who drew a one-out walk the at-before before. Velez had two of the Saints' three hits against UWF starter Grace Gilbert (7-5) as
NaJah Gerrald had the other. Flagler also drew six walks (Gerrald,
Bella Munoz 2,
Mackenzie Smith, Murphy, and Page Maseda) in the doubleheader-opening win.
In the second game, Flagler had six more free bases (Gerrald 3,
Mercedes Salinas, Murphy, and
Kyleigh Taylor) versus pitcher Kelsey Sweatt (W, 12-3); however, the Saints were only able to connect on one hit via
Morgan Murphy as they left eight on base. For Flagler in the circle,
Madelyn Wise (L, 2-7) allowed seven runs — four earned — on nine hits and a walk as a pair of big innings — a four-run second and a three-run fourth — and five defensive errors held the home team back in the night cap against UWF (26-11).
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