SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo junior Zach Gary's bases loaded triple in the seventh inning helped clinch the Lions' 11-6 win over visiting Albany State (Ga.) on Sunday at Thomas B. Southard Stadium, and completed Saint Leo's three-game sweep of the South Region series.

Gary finished the day with a 3-of-4 effort at the plate with a run and five RBI, but it was his two-out triple on the 0-1 offering from Albany State's Brian Winn in the seventh that extended Saint Leo's lead to 10-4 and effectively put the game beyond reach. Gary plated Troy Sieber, Mike Mann, and Nick Boland on his triple, after the three runners got aboard on a walk, a fielder's choice, and a walk.

In the previous inning, a three-run sixth for the Lions broke a 4-4 tie and gave Saint Leo (6-5) the lead for good.

After a Zach Daley walk to open the frame, Chad Miller ripped a double down the left field line to score Daley. Boland cracked doubled on the next at bat, his second double of the day, with a shot into right center that pushed Miller around to score. Boland crossed later in the inning on a bunt single by Gary.

Boland's first double came in the fifth inning, a two-run liner down the right field line that was part of the Lions' four-run uprising to retake the lead. Gary and Sieber each stroked RBI singles later in the fifth, giving Saint Leo a 4-3 lead at five innings.

Albany State (0-13) knotted the game up at 4-4 in the top of the sixth on Austin Sheltra's home run to left field, before Saint Leo pulled in front in the bottom half of the frame.

Boland recorded a 2-of-3 day batting, with three runs scored and three runs batted in. Miller scored two runs with one RBI, a hit, and reached on a sacrifice bunt that resulted in an error on the Albany State pitcher.  

Batting in the 6-7-8 spots in the batting order, Miller, Boland, and Gary combined to go 6-of-10 with six runs, nine RBI, three doubles, and a triple.

Saint Leo starter Zach Whitaker zipped through the first four innings and allowed just one Albany State base runner during that span, and picked up the win to improve to 2-0. Whitaker finished with four strikeouts and four runs allowed, just two earned, over seven complete innings of work.

Relievers Shane Haight and Ethan Lichtenberg came on for the eighth and ninth innings to seal the win.

Albany State starter John Paul Barnard went four-and-two-thirds innings, scattering four hits but allowing four runs. Reliever Tyler Wilcher took the loss for the Golden Rams; he recorded the final out of Saint Leo's four-run fifth inning, and was the pitcher-of-record when ASU tied the game at 4-4 on Sheltra's home run, but allowed the first three Saint Leo batters to get aboard in the sixth – all of whom scored.

Cody Fleck was Albany State's top hitter on the day with two hits and a run scored, while Reise McDaniel was 2-of-4 with two RBI.

Saint Leo returns to action on Friday, Feb. 26, when they head to West Palm Beach, Fla., to face future-Sunshine State Conference member Palm Beach Atlantic in a three-game South Region series. Friday's single game starts at 6:00 p.m., with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 27, starting at 1:00 p.m.

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