LAKE WALES, Fla. – The No.18-ranked Saint Leo men's tennis team (2-1) claimed a hard-fought 8-1 victory over Warner University, Sunday afternoon from the Warner Tennis Center.

The Lions faced one setback during their three doubles matches, but recovered nicely in the singles portion as Saint Leo rallied-off six straight wins to claim the overall match.

Despite dropping a match at No.2 doubles, the Lions' No.21-ranked tandem reigned supreme with an 8-3 win over Julian Ramirez and Vito Schepper. Antoine Raffaelli and Jacobo Gonzalez-Tarrio also posted an 8-5 win at No.3 singles.

A feisty Warner squad challenged the Lions for the majority of the morning, but freshman Gonzalez-Tarrio led a Lions' charge which saw them take of the final six singles matches. Gonzalez-Tarrio blasted his opponent, 6-3, 6-0 at No.5 singles, while Jake Fleischer highlighted the day by upended his opponent in straight-sets, 6-1, 6-3.

Head Coach James Bryce states, "We fought hard today.  Our guys battled through the early morning match and responded nicely to collect the win."

The Lions will entertain the No.2-ranked Barry Buccaneers in their Sunshine State Conference opener on Saturday, February 11. The match is scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m.

For more on the men's tennis team, visit SaintLeoLions.com.