ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The 15th-ranked Saint Leo baseball team improved to 22-5 on the season with a 10-1 win over the Eckerd College Tritons, in Friday's first game of a three-game Sunshine State Conference series.

The Lions churned out 15 hits including two home runs in another double-digit run offensive effort.

Senior captain Liam O'Sullivan earned the win, pitching a strong eight innings and giving up only one run on seven hits with two walks and registering seven strikeouts. The righty from South Grafton, Mass., improved to 6-2 on the year with a team leading 46 strikeouts over 49.1 innings pitched.

Third baseman Dylan Harris led the Lions at the plate with a 4-for-5 performance, scoring a pair of runs and adding one RBI. Leftfielder Nick Perez went 2-for-5 in the leadoff spot, scoring two Saint Leo runs.

Designated hitter Jordan Taylor belted a three-run home run, his fifth of the season, in the top of the first to begin the Lions' scoring, on his way to a four RBI performance. Taylor plated another run on a single to left field in the seventh, extending Saint Leo's lead to 7-1.

Catcher Dale Irving also homered versus the Tritons, sending a two-run shot over the right field fence in the eighth inning to score Taylor Perez. Harris got aboard later in the frame with a two-out double, and scored on an Alex Mata base hit up the middle to cap Saint Leo's scoring for the night.

Irving's home run was his second in as many games, giving the senior five round-trippers on the season.

Eckerd's lone run came in the sixth inning on Carter Cashman's two-out solo home run to left field.

The Tritons' Jimmy Gutkowski was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs, four earned, on eight hits over six complete innings of work. He fanned four Lion batters while issuing one walk. Gardner Nutter came on in the seventh for the Tritons, and yielded four runs, all earned, on seven hits.

Saint Leo and Eckerd continue their SSC series on Saturday, March 21, with a doubleheader starting at noon.

For more information on the Saint Leo baseball program, visit SaintLeoLions.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.