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Box Score 2 BOCA RATON, Fla. – Saint Leo baseball tore through Lynn University pitching with 22 hits on its way to a 27-7 triumph over the Fighting Knights, completing a sweep of the two teams' Sunshine State Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday at the Lynn Baseball Field.
Saint Leo posted an 8-4 win over Lynn in game one of the twinbill. The two victories improved the Lions' record to 22-15 overall, 5-7 in the SSC, and gave Saint Leo a 2-1 advantage in the series. Lynn dropped to 20-16, 9-6 in the SSC, and the Knights have now fallen in seven of their last 10 games.
The Lions trailed Lynn 3-1 after two innings, but quickly turned things in their favor. Alex Mata doubled home Lane Stancil in the third on his 42nd career double, tying R.J. Hendricks (1993-97) for fifth among Saint Leo career leaders in the category. Chase Turner scored later in the inning on a balk, after reaching on a single and going to third on Mata's double.
Saint Leo blew the game wide open with a seven-run fourth inning. RBI singles by Turner and Mata, and bases-loaded walks drawn by Shane Williams and Zach Daley plated four runs, and a Zack Sabo double to left center scored three runs to cap the frame with Saint Leo holding a 10-3 lead.
The Lions put up single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to go up 13-3, before Lynn rallied for two runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh. Saint Leo exploded for eight runs in the eighth on just four hits with two Lynn errors, extending its lead to 21-5. The Green and Gold added six more insurance runs in the ninth, including a two-run home run by Chad Miller and a solo shot by Zach Elder.
Turner, Mata, and Mike Mann all finished with three hits for the Lions, with Mata and Sabo charting three runs batted in. Turner crossed for a team-high four runs. Reliever Shane Haight picked up the win, after coming on to start the third and fanning seven Knights over his six innings on the mound. Haight, starter Michael Dunnigan, and fellow reliever Ethan Lichtenberg combined for 11 strikeouts over nine innings.
In the first game, Saint Leo broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning with two runs, then tacked on two more in the ninth to sew up the 8-4 victory.
Mann's one-out single down the right field line drove in Mata for what proved to be the game-winning run, and Williams crossed later in the inning on a wild pitch to give the Lions a 6-4 lead.
Mann singled home one of Saint Leo's two runs in the ninth, and the second run scored on Derek Gibree's grounder to third that was mishandled, allowing Tully Allen to score.
Starter Dylan Collett lasted six-and-two-thirds innings for the Lions, picking up the win to improve to 4-3. Dunnigan entered with two outs in the seventh, and sent the Knights down in order in the eighth and allowed just one walk in the ninth to earn the save.
Troy Sieber belted a two-out home run in the first inning, his third round-tripper of the weekend, and finished the game with two hits. The homer was the 26th of Sieber's career, moving him into sole possession of fourth place among Saint Leo career home run leaders.
Turner, Williams, and Mann also had a pair of hits, while Mann charted two RBI. John Borup and John Silviano each had two hits for the Knights in game one.
Saint Leo hosts Barry University for a three-game SSC series starting Friday, April 15, with a single game starting at 6:00 p.m. The series wraps on Saturday, April 16, with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.
For more on the Saint Leo baseball program, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Also, be sure to 'Like' the Lions on Facebook and 'Follow' Saint Leo Athletics on Twitter and Instagram.
