Saint Leo, Fla. (April 13, 2007) – Junior left-hander Ryan Clark (Tampa, Fla.) struck out a career-high 13, leading the Saint Leo University baseball team (24-17, 9-7 SSC) to a 3-0 shutout win over No. 10 Florida Southern College (30-11, 6-7 SSC) Friday night.

The win was the first for the Lions over the Mocs since May 1, 2005, and stretched SLU’s SSC win streak to four games.  Saint Leo has won six of its last seven league games overall.

Clark went eight innings, and scattered 11 hits en route to his eighth win of the season (8-2).  The lefty outdueled Florida Southern ace Dan Albritton who suffered his first loss of the season (8-1) on the hill for the Mocs.

Saint Leo scored all three runs in the third inning, as Jorge Burgos (Sr., Orlando, Fla.) and Jerry Gonzalez (Sr., Tampa, Fla.) led off the inning with back-to-back singles.  Sean VanGuilder (Sr., Tallahassee, Fla.) followed with a walk to load the bases, before Eric Spicer (Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.) delivered a two-run double.  Ricky Nolan (Jr., Seminole, Fla.) then laid down a perfect bunt on a squeeze play to score VanGuilder with the third run.

That was all the support Clark would need en route to his record-breaking night.  Eric Nickolaison (So., Spring Hill, Fla.) came on in the ninth to preserve the shutout and secure his first save of the season.

The same two teams will return to the diamond tomorrow to conclude their three-game series with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Southard Stadium.