MELBOURNE, Fla. (Softball) - Florida Tech (21-21, SSC 6-9) fell to No. 5 Saint Leo (34-7, SSC 15-3) on Thursday afternoon in the final game of the SSC series.

Five FIT players combined to record the only five hits during the game. The Panther players included Hailey Leonard and Karina Suicava, joined by Makayla Palmer, Alexus Smith and Vanessa Rubio.

Game 3 started blank for both dugouts, as the Panthers and the Lions went through two scoreless frames in the first and second.

SLU broke through the score in the third, grabbing four runs and placing themselves ahead of the Panthers, 4-0. 

The Lions struck again in the fourth picking up two more runs, and followed up in the fifth by snatching an additional five. With an 11-0 lead by Saint Leo, the Crimson and Gray tried to fight back in the home half of the fifth.

Starting the fight, Leonard placed the Panthers on base after reaching first on a hit-by-pitch. Suicava then pushed her fellow teammate to second with a single to third, and Smith loaded the bases by flaring a single to the shortstop. With bases loaded, Palmer stepped to the plate and drove a single up the middle, but Leonard was thrown out at home. 

Although having runners on each base, the batting streak ended with no runners crossing home, and eventually Florida Tech dropped to the Lions, 11-0.

Tomorrow, the Panthers will travel to Auburndale to face SSC rival Florida Southern. The first pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET. Fans can access live coverage of the game at FloridaTechSports.com