ALBANY, Ga. – Saint Leo baseball pounded out 14 runs on 15 hits and coasted to a 14-3 win over Albany State University, Friday night at Golden Ram Field.

Dylan Harris, Alex Mata, and Derek Gibree each rapped three hits for the Lions, who improved to 3-4 with the victory. Two of Harris' hits went for doubles, while Mata had one double and three RBIs. Gibree drove in a pair of runs and crossed for two more.

Saint Leo got on top of Albany State (0-6) quickly when Mata singled home Harris in the top of the first inning.

The Lions piled on six more runs in the second on four hits, including a Gibree single into left field that plated Zach Scott followed by Mata's RBI double into right field later in the frame.

Albany State got one run back in the bottom of the second and again in the fourth, but Saint Leo answered in the top of the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles from Shane Williams and Mike Mann. The Lions added a single run in the seventh and two each in the eighth and ninth to seal the win.

Junior Tyler Bauman got the start for Saint Leo and fanned six of 26 Albany State batters faced to pick up his first collegiate win. He scattered three hits over six innings of work.

Game two of the three-game series between Saint Leo and Albany State takes place on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 6:00 p.m. at Golden Ram Field.

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.