MADEIRA BEACH, FL – Freshman Kyleigh Potter pinch-hit her team to victory Friday afternoon, allowing Siena Softball (3-5) to clinch its third win of the season in walk-off fashion. The Saints took a 3-2 win over Bucknell before falling in a 5-2 decision to LIU to begin their six-game weekend at the Madeira Beach Invitational in Madeira Beach, Florida.
 
Siena 3, Bucknell 2
 
Facing off against the Bison for the first time since 2014, Siena fell behind following a scoreless pair of innings, with Bucknell pulling out to a 2-0 advantage in the top of the third thanks to a pair of RBI singles. The Green and Gold responded with an RBI double from sophomore Isabella Pardo in the home half of the inning that allowed senior Sabrina Vargas to score.
 
Working behind the strength of a complete game victory in the circle from senior Ava Fitzmaurice, Siena retired 14 of the final 15 Bucknell batters to set itself up for victory in the bottom of the seventh. Down by a run, junior Angelina Stile drew a walk to place the tying run on-base and set the table for Potter, who used the third pitch of her first at-bat of the game to launch a game-winning two-run shot to left. Fitzmaurice improved to 2-2 in the circle on the year, striking out three batters and walking only one over seven innings.
 
LIU 5, Siena 2
 
The Saints faced off with LIU for the first time in over 20 years to end its weekend-opening doubleheader, this time pulling out to the lead to start. Siena took a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the second inning thanks to RBI doubles from Stile and Potter, but were unable to produce thereafter.
 
LIU used the arm of Desiree Smith to retire nine of ten Siena batters from the third through the end of the fifth, while stranding a pair of Saints base-runners in the sixth. The offense kicked in with a crooked inning in the top of the third to take the lead off an RBI single and a 2 RBI double. The Sharks tacked a pair of insurance runs on in the seventh thanks to a sacrifice fly and an RBI single, while stranding one more runner on in the bottom of the inning.
 
Liu held a 10-8 advantage in hits, with Fitzmaurice recording a multi-hit outing by going 2-3. Junior arm Allison Speshyock (0-3) took the loss for the Saints in the circle while striking out a pair of batters in two-and-two-thirds innings, while Smith (1-2) used a one-strikeout, complete game outing to earn her first win of the year.
 
Siena will continue weekend action at the Maderia Beach invitational on Saturday, March 12, with games set against Massachusetts foes Merrimack at 11 AM and Holy Cross at 1:30 PM.