SAINT LEO, Fla. – A pair of Alex Mata home runs paced a 16-hit onslaught that led Saint Leo baseball to a 10-3 win over Saint Anselm College (N.H.), Monday night at Thomas B. Southard Stadium.

Mata crushed both his home runs to left field. His first round-tripper was a two-run screamer that plated Troy Sieber and capped a four-run third inning for the Lions, who then led the Hawks, 6-3. Earlier in the frame, Derek Gibree scored on a Lane Stancil single and throwing error by the Hawks' second baseman, with Stancil eventually crossing on a Mike Mann sacrifice to right field.

Mata's second home run came in the seventh inning, another two-run shot to left that scored Mann and gave the Lions an 8-3 lead.

Saint Leo tacked on two more insurance runs in the eighth inning. Pinch hitter John Thomas drew a four-pitch walk, and freshman second baseman Tully Allen picked up his first collegiate hit with a single into right field. Both runners scored on a Gibree double down the left field line to extend Saint Leo's lead to 10-3.

The Lions first two runs of the night came in the second inning when Chase Turner belted his first collegiate home run, a two-out, two-run blast to right field that scored Danny Henriquez. Henriquez got aboard with a single earlier in the inning.

Sophomore righthander Jordan Pendleton picked up the win in relief of Saint Leo starter Edwin Suarez, and improved to 2-1 on the season. Pendleton came on with two outs in the second and runners on second and third, and induced a grounder to short to get the Lions out of the jam. He then faced the minimum in four of the next six innings, scattering three hits over six-and-a-third scoreless innings of work with eight strikeouts and only one walk.

Junior righty Dan Twitty pitched the ninth inning to finish out the win, fanning two Hawk batters in the non-save situation.

Gibree finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs batted in, while Stancil was 3-for-5. Sieber, Mann, Mata, and Turner each tallied a pair of hits, while Mata crossed for two runs to go with his four RBI.

Saint Anselm scored two of their runs in the first inning, when Nick Bragole plated Ken Morrisino and Tyler McKeon with a double into left field. Matt Flynn crossed for the Hawks' final run in the third inning, reaching on a walk and eventually scoring on a wild pitch.

Saint Anselm starter Tyler Buck took the loss for the Hawks, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits and three walks over five-and-two-thirds innings on the mound.

Saint Leo improved to 8-7 on the season, while Saint Anselm fell to 1-6 overall. The Lions return to the diamond on Friday, March 4, when they face Division I Northwestern University in Port Charlotte, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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