SAINT LEO, Fla. – Although they were provided with the opportunities against the nation’s top-ranked team, the Saint Leo baseball team could not get a lucky break as they dropped both ends of a Sunshine State Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon to Florida Southern by 7-5 and 8-4 finals.

The opener saw SLU take an early lead when Dale Slimick smacked a two-run shot over the left-field wall that put the Lions up 2-0 but the Mocs had an answer in the next frame when they scored three runs to take the lead.

Saint Leo would fight back in the bottom of the third when Bobby Munoz lofted a ball into the strong gale that was blowing across the stadium all day.  The two-run shot out of left field would give the Lions the lead again.

Florida Southern would answer by scoring four runs in the next two innings to take a 7-4 lead.  Despite a strong showing from the Lions’ bullpen as they shut down the visitors from Lakeland, Fla. through the last four innings, the Saint Leo bats could not get an answer as the Mocs pulled out the victory.

Game two saw the teams knotted at four, but the Mocs capitalized on two Lion errors in the final inning to see FSC score four runs to managed the win.

The two miscues in the seventh capped off a five error night for Saint Leo as Florida Southern managed the series sweep over SLU.

Munoz had the best offensive showing for the Lions as he went 4-for-8 with three RBI.

Ryan Arena (1-1) picked up the first game loss in relief and JC Suarez (2-3) tossed 6.1 innings but was the pitcher of record in the deciding seventh inning.

The Lions will now face the University of Tampa in a non-conference tilt on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. at Thomas B. Southard Stadium on the Saint Leo campus.