JOLIET, Ill. --- Isabella Landeros played a role in four of the five runs scored by the University of St. Francis softball team on the day and the Fighting Saints' pitching staff continued its stingy ways to record 3-1 and 2-0 victories over Indiana University South Bend in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play on Monday afternoon at the Inwood Softball Complex.

Landeros drove in three runs and set up another one with her four hits on the day, while Kiersten Manning and Emily Boyle combined to hold Indiana South Bend to that same hit count over 14 innings.  Manning authored a win and a save on the day, while Boyle notched her third victory of the season, allowing just one hit over her four innings of work.

USF's pitching staff has now allowed just five runs during its current five-game winning streak, which has moved the Saints (23-11, 9-3 CCAC) into sole possession of first place in the conference standings with just four games remaining in the league season.

Game 1: USF 3, Indiana South Bend 1
Landeros broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with her two-out, two-run home run to left field on an 0-2 count.  At that point, it was just the Saints' second hit of the contest.
The junior catcher also provided USF's fourth and final hit of the game in the sixth inning to add an insurance run.  She finished the game going 2-for-3 with the three runs batted in.

Manning, meanwhile, was cruising along until the fifth inning when the first three IUSB batters reached base.  She would get the next two batters out on swinging strikeouts before allowing her only run of the day on a two-out walk.  The junior hurler would avoid further damage with her third strikeout of the inning to end the rally.

Indiana South Bend (11-23, 5-5) would also get the first runner on base (single) to open the seventh inning, but she would not get any further.  Manning (14-6) would record one more strikeout in the inning to finish with a season-high 13 for the game against six walks and three hits.

Game 2: USF 2, Indiana South Bend 0
Another tight contest ensued in Game 2, but Boyle and Manning were up to the task.  Boyle (3-2) went the first four innings, striking out four batters in the process, while yielding IUSB's only hit and one walk.

Manning worked the final three innings, where she allowed only two batters to reach base (two walks), while striking out two.  That resulted in her third save of the season.

Landeros set up USF's first run of the game in the third inning.  She sent Kaylie Sippel (hit by pitch) to third base on a single through the right side and Manning followed with a two-out single to left field to score Sippel.

Rose Mwaro plated the Saints' other run with her bunt single getting her on base.  Brittany Osborne then brought her home with a single to center field.

St. Francis finished with eight hits in the contest – two each from Osborne, Landeros, Manning and Mwaro – but left nine runners on base.

Notes: All five of USF's runs on the day came on two-out hits … Manning's 13 strikeouts marked the fifth time this season that she recorded double-digit K's … Hits in each contest on Monday catapulted Landeros to the top of the team leaderboard for the season with her 12-game hitting streak.  She has also reached base safely in 15 consecutive games … Sippel has reached base safely in a season-high nine games … With her big offensive day, Landeros moved into a tie for the No. 2 spot in home runs (four) and as the sole runner-up in RBIs (23) … The Saints are at St. Ambrose University on Saturday for a 12 pm conference doubleheader.  

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