Home sweet home?

Hosting the Outback Steakhouse Invitational didn't give Saint Leo's softball team much of an advantage. The Lions placed fourth with a 2-3 record.

Saint Leo (14-6) finished fourth in its previous tournament, going 3-0 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic, March 1-3 in Irving, Texas.

The Lions' victories in the Outback tourney came against Ferris State, 5-0 and 4-1. Denyve Duncan, Lacey Hardesty, Sabrina Price and Jessica McKenzie made the all-tournament team.

McKenzie hit .421, scored 6 runs, drove in 2 and had 2 stolen bases. Price batted .409 and had 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored and 2 steals. Hardesty went 1-1 on the mound after allowing 2 earned runs and striking out 19.

Before the Outback, Saint Leo split with Valdosta State -- a 6-1 win and 6-5 loss. Freshman Heather Gamlin pitched a six-hitter against Valdosta, recording three strikeouts and one walk.

TWICE FOR PRICE: For the second time this season, Price was named the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week. In games Feb. 25-March 3, the senior third baseman sparked Saint Leo to a 5-0 mark, batting .667, scoring 10 runs and driving in 8.

RUNNER-UP GOLFERS: Saint Leo placed second (914) to Tampa (903) in the Barry University Invitational, March 3-4. Joey Slater was the Lions' leader, capturing sixth with a 54-hole total of 227. Nick Rich and Bryan Sutton tied for 10th at 229.

BIG BLAST NOT ENOUGH: Former Zephyrhills standout Danny Wardell belted a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning Monday, allowing Pasco-Hernando Community College's baseball team to tie South Florida CC at 2.

But the Conquistadors (7-17-1) lost 3-2 in the 11th, dropping to 1-4 in one-run games.

"You have to execute," PHCC coach Steve Winterling said. "We're just not getting a lot of runs."

Wardell is batting .253, but has 4 home runs and 11 RBIs. Those power figures are second on the team to Matt Reed's six homers and 27 RBIs. Victor Roldan (Land O'Lakes) leads Pasco-Hernando with a .337 average. The freshman third baseman has 12 RBIs.

Today at 3 p.m., starting pitcher Chris Pachik (Palm Harbor University) will try to salvage a victory in the last of three straight games against South Florida CC.

Also at stake is the right-hander's perfect record. Pachik, the Conquistadors' only winning hurler, is 3-0 with a 3.10 ERA.

"He's got pretty good management of his pitches," Winterling said. "He's hitting his location. He's got a good slider. That's his out-pitch."

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