SAINT LEO, Fla. – Seventeen years and one day between his first win and his 500th, Head Coach Rick O'Dette led the Saint Leo baseball team past West Alabama for his 500th career coaching win in his 18-year coaching career. The Lions used eight unanswered runs to defeat the Tigers 9-6 to take the series two games to one.
 
Joey Antonopoulos got the nod on the bump for the Lions where he went 3.0 innings allowing nine hits and six runs before McCabe Sargent came in for three innings of work and gave up three hits and no runs to become the pitcher of record as the Green and Gold took a 7-6 lead when he was the assumed pitcher.
 
Drew Tumbelty earned his second save of the year, tossing three quality innings of work before the Lions defeated the Tigers 9-6.
 
Saint Leo scored first in the second inning after Jared Morello singled to center field and moved to second on a wild pitch. A passed ball allowed him to reach third before the catcher came up firing and threw the ball to left field allowing Morello to walk in for the first run.
 
West Alabama scored six runs in the top of the fourth before the Green and Gold answered with three in the bottom half. Morello would plate two of the three on a double to right center before scoring on a Lane Stancil single through the right side.
 
Leading off in the bottom of the fifth, Brett Coffel cut the Tigers lead to one with a solo shot to left field, UWA 6-5.
 
Aaron Portee followed Coffel's lead and hit a solo homer to right field to lead off the bottom of the sixth to tie things at 6-6. Saint Leo wouldn't stop there as the Tigers' pitchers were rattled and a passed ball allowed Stancil to score to push the Green and Gold ahead, 7-6.
 
Saint Leo tacked on two more in the bottom of the eight as Coffel tripled to right center scoring Peyton Isaacson and Amir Wright, to cap off the Lions eight unanswered runs.
 
Drew Tumbelty came out in the top of the ninth for his third inning of work and recorded two quick outs with two groundouts to Derek Gibree and Zach Scott. With two outs and one on, Tumbelty closed the door with a ground out to himself after sliding to field the slow chopper down the third base line.
 
Saint Leo picked up a mid-week game to make up a game they missed earlier in the season and will travel to St. Petersburg, Fla. to take on Sunshine State Conference for Eckerd, in non-conference action at 6 p.m. February 20.
 
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.