DAVIE, Fla. – Saint Leo baseball was unable to keep pace with Nova Southeastern's three round-trippers that accounted for eight runs, and dropped an 11-4 decision to the Sharks in Thursday night's first game of a three-game Sunshine State Conference series at the NSU Baseball Complex.

The series concludes Friday, March 25, with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. at the NSU Baseball Complex. Links to both live stats and webcasts are available at www.SaintLeoLions.com.

The Lions posted three runs in the first inning on two hits, launched by Lane Stancil's leadoff triple to right center. Chase Turner got aboard on a throwing error by the Nova shortstop, allowing Stancil to score. Troy Sieber cleared the bases with his two-run shot over the left field fence, putting the Lions up 3-0.

Nova Southeastern overtook Saint Leo in the bottom of the second on Dallas Perez's grand slam to left center, giving the Sharks a 4-3 lead.

After a two-run third inning to extend Nova Southeastern's lead to 6-3, the Sharks made it 8-3 in the fifth on Andres Visbal's two-out, two-run shot to left field that scored Sebastian Diaz. The Lions added a run in the top of the sixth on Mike Mann's bases loaded RBI grounder to second, but Diaz responded for the Sharks with a two-run blast of his own in the bottom of the frame and stretched Nova's advantage to 10-4.

The Sharks tacked on an insurance run in the seventh on Jancarlos Cintron's RBI single up the middle.

Stancil and Sieber each finished with two hits, while Sieber also charted two RBI with two runs scored. Starter Dylan Collett allowed eight runs on nine hits in four-and-two-thirds innings on the mound, and was charged with the loss.

Visbal paced Nova with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with three RBI, while Diaz was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Starter Alex Mateo fanned six Saint Leo batters, and improved to 4-3 with the win.

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