SAINT LEO, Fla. – For the fourth time this season, the 18^th-ranked Saint Leo baseball team earned a series sweep versus a non-conference opponent. The Lions belted out 13 hits and drove in 14 runs to down the visiting Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers 14-3 Wednesday afternoon at Thomas B. Southard Stadium. Nine Lions picked up hits in the victory while six drove in runs led by sophomore Amir Wright and redshirt senior Chase Turner who each drove in three.
 
Redshirt sophomore right-hander Ryan Nolan earned the victory on the mound as he pitched 5.0 innings of shutout ball while scattering three hits and striking out four opposing batters. The victory improves his season record to 2-0.
 
Saint Leo improved to 23-5 on the season while UW-Parkside dropped to 1-12. The win was the fourth-straight overall for the Lions and 13^th-straight non-conference victory on the season.
 
Juniors Jared Morello and Peyton Isaacson, redshirt freshman Danny Torres and Wright all picked up a pair of hits in the win while Wright, Morello, Isaacson, Turner and junior Brett Coffel all had multiple RBI.   
 
The Green and Gold jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after the first inning as Turner hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Wright who opened the game with a single.
 
The Lions blew the game open in the second as they scored six runs off of five hits including a two-run homerun by Isaacson, his team-leading 10^th of the season. Junior Aaron Portee drove in a run off a double while Wright picked up a pair of RBI on a single down the rightfield line. Morello had the only other RBI in the inning as he nailed a single through the right side to bring home Wright.
 
After a scoreless third inning, the Saint Leo bats once again came alive in the fourth. The Green and Gold scored another five runs off just three hits and a pair of Parkside errors. Turner started the scoring with a double to left center which brought home senior Tate Sweatt and Morello. Two more runs crossed the plate following a Coffel double as senior Zach Scott and Turner scored. The final tally of the inning came off a grounder by sophomore Josh Russo that was thrown away by the Parkside shortstop.
 
The Lions final two tallies came in the sixth inning as Wright knocked in a run off a groundout while Morello singled up the middle to bring home Russo.
 
Junior Jake Sims took over on the mound for Nolan in the sixth and pitched a shutout inning that included a pair of strikeouts.
 
The Rangers three runs came in the seventh inning as Troy Bittenbender nailed a three-run homerun over the left field fence but it was not enough to stop the 10-run rule that was agreed upon by both coaching staffs prior to the contest.
 
Saint Leo will return to the diamond March 29-30 as the Lions return to Sunshine State Conference action at Palm Beach Atlantic. First pitch of the three-game series is set for 6 pm Thursday night in West Palm Beach.
 
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.