Box Score WINTER PARK, Fla. – After four scoreless innings, the Saint Leo baseball team came alive in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings of a midweek regional contest at Rollins College to defeat the Tars by a 14-0 score. Junior Tyrone Miller picked up the win in the effort, improving to 2-0 on the year.
The first four innings went scoreless for both teams, as the Tars and Lions combined for just four hits. In the top of the fifth, however, the Lions put themselves on the board, when a base-clearing double from Taylor Perez scored Chris Newcomb, Cole Stancil, and Nick Perez to give the Lions a three-run lead.
After holding the Tars scoreless in the bottom of the inning, the Lions' bats came alive in the top of the sixth, as the squad combined for three hits and three walks to tack on five more runs. It was sophomore Alex Mata who jumpstarted the inning with a leadoff single through the right side. After back to back hits from Dylan Harris and Chris Newcomb, the Lions had another run on the board, taking a 4-0 lead. Cole Stancil continued the rally by reaching on an error, and Bobby Twitty took first base on a walk before Dale Irving picked up an RBI single. After a groundout that resulted in an RBI for Taylor Perez, the Lions walked into the bottom of the sixth with an 8-0 lead.
The top of the seventh inning looked much like the sixth, as Saint Leo rallied for five more runs on six hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Harris, Newcomb, Stancil, Twitty, and Mata all recorded hits in the effort.
An RBI single from Mata in the top of the ninth earned the Lions an insurance run, giving them a 14-0 lead and propelling Saint Leo to their 20th win of the season.
Despite a slow start, Saint Leo proved themselves as the second-best offense in the Sunshine State Conference by collecting 16 hits and five walks on the evening. As a team, 20 Lions appeared in the contest.
Junior righty Tyrone Miller picked up the win in the effort, tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing just six hits on the day. Coming in for the eighth and ninth, senior Brent Krauss recorded four strikeouts and allowed no hits in his two innings of work.
The Lions will return to action on Friday, April 4 when they host the visiting Eckerd College Tritons in another Sunshine State Conference series. First pitch of the single game is set for 6:00 p.m. at Thomas B. Southard Stadium.
For more on the Saint Leo baseball team, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Also, be sure to 'Like' the Lions on Facebook and 'Follow' Saint Leo Athletics on Twitter and Instagram.
