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Box Score 2 LAKELAND, Fla. – After falling to the No. 20 Florida Southern Moccasins Friday night, the Saint Leo baseball team returned to action on Saturday after to split both games of the Sunshine State Conference doubleheader. Despite taking the first game by a 5-4 score, the Lions fell to the Mocs in the seven-inning contest by a 5-0 score.
Game one began quickly, as the Lions' leadoff batter Nick Perez reached first base on a Mocs' fielding error and easily took second on a single from shortstop Taylor Perez in the top of the first. After moving to third base on a fielder's choice, Nick Perez was able to score when freshman Dylan Harris picked up an RBI and gave the Lions a 1-0 lead.
Holding the Mocs scoreless in the bottom of the inning, the Lions again took to the scoreboard in the top of the second, as junior Bobby Twitty took to the bases on a two-out single to right-centerfield and was sent home on an RBI single from Nick Perez.
After a scoreless third, the Lions' Nick Perez tacked on two more in the top of the fourth with an RBI single that pushed Cole Stancil and Bobby Twitty across the plate for a 4-0 lead.
The Mocs responded in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homerun off the bat of Florida Southern's Keith Curcio.
Florida Southern repeated their two-run effort in the bottom of the sixth inning, picking up two runs on a single, double, triple, and sacrifice bunt. The offensive surge tied the game at 4-4.
A scoreless seventh brought the Lions and Mocs into the eighth, where junior Jordan Taylor led off the inning with a monster homerun over the Florida Southern clubhouse in left-centerfield to give Saint Leo a 5-4 lead. The score would remain the same throughout the bottom of the ninth, giving the Lions a 5-4 victory.
Junior righty Liam O'Sullivan took the mound for the Lions in game one, tossing 5.1 innings and allowing eight hits and one walk before senior lefty Brandon Terry made a relief appearance. Throwing 3.2 innings and allowing just two hits, Terry earned the win, improving to 5-3 on the season. The pair combined for five strikeouts.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Brandon Terry again took the mound, this time as a starter. The senior tossed four complete innings, striking out two and allowing just five hits. In the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings the Lions utilized three pitchers, as Brent Krauss, Tyrone Miller, and Shaun Adams all made appearances. As a whole, the pitching staff allowed nine hits on the day, walking four and fanning three.
After three and a half scoreless innings, it was No. 20 Florida Southern who jumped on the scoreboard first, plating a run in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice flyout from the Mocs' Trevor Freeman.
A two-run homerun, three singles, and two walks in the bottom of the sixth inning pushed the Mocs' lead to 5-0, which would be enough to take the game and the series.
On the day, the Lions tallied 15 hits, walking three times.
The Lions will get back in action on Sunday, May 4th when they host Barry University in game one of the last regular season Sunshine State Conference series. First pitch of the single game is set for 6:00 p.m. with senior day festivities beginning at approximately 5:45 p.m.
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, Instagram, and YouTube.
