MELBOURNE, Fla. – Flip the script! At 10 p.m., it looked as if the Lions were going to drop its Sunshine State Conference series 1-2. Down but not out, BIG-MO was sitting in the third base dugout with the visiting Green and Gold before Saint Leo came back to win the series finale in the 12th inning at Florida Tech, 9-5. 

Trailing 5-1 heading into the seventh inning in game two of the day, No. 17 Saint Leo scored three runs in the top of the seventh to make it 5-4 before an hour and a half rain delay. Following the delay, the Lions tied things at 5-5 with a run in the ninth. It took three innings before another run was scored where the Green and Gold scored four runs in the top of the 12th to win the game, 9-5 and the series, 2-1.
 
From first pitch Saturday, at 3 p.m., to the final out Sunday, at 12:31 p.m., Saint Leo (31-9, 14-7 SSC) and Florida Tech (15-26, 7-14 SSC) battled it out for 22 innings in two games that spanned for nine hours and 31 minutes. 
 
The 2-1 series, it marks the first series this season for the Lions to not be a sweep; winning or losing.
 
Game One – Florida Tech 3, #17 Saint Leo 2 (10 innings)
Saint Leo claimed an early lead with a run in the first and added to it in the second holding on for six innings. Shane Haight pitched 7.2 innings and gave up just two runs while he allowed his defense to make great plays behind him, including a double play from Zach Scott.
 
Amir Wright started the game off with a double to right center before getting bumped over to third on a sacrifice bunt from Jared Morello. Peyton Isaacson stepped up and hit a hard groundout to first base allowing Wright to come in for the first run of the game.
 
In the second inning, Saint Leo posted another run after an error by the shortstop allowed Zach Scott to walk in from third.
 
Game Two – #17 Saint Leo 9, Florida Tech 5
As Saint Leo gained momentum in the seventh inning, rain moved in and time was called. The game was delayed with the Panthers leading 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh for an hour and a half before play resumed.
 
The Lions trailed 4-0 after the first two innings of play before the Panthers added a fifth run in the fifth inning. Saint Leo scored four unanswered runs to make it a 5-4 game heading to the bottom of the seventh.
 
After an hour of delay, the Lions would score the tying run in the top of the ninth. Holding the Panthers scoreless in the bottom half, the game would head to extra innings where the Green and Gold scored four runs in the top of the 12th to take a 9-5 lead.

Tate Sweatt started things off in the 12th with a single to second base before moving to third on a Derek Gibree sacrifie bunt and error. Gibree stole second to give the Lions two runners in scoring position with no outs for Amir Wright. Wright singled through the right side before swipping second. An intentional walk to Peyton Isaacson didn't pay off as it loaded the bases for Zach Scott. Scott reached on another Panther error allowing Wright and Gibree to score before Will Gray singled to center field, driving in Isaacson. The Lions stranded two runners but took the 9-5 lead.  
 
Joey Antonopoulos earned the win early Sunday morning after he hurled five innings of scoreless baseball. Antonopoulos allowed just one hit and no runs while fanning three batters. Antonopoulos came in the bottom of the 12th and allowed just one hit after recording a strikeout to open the frame. He retired the side with a fly out to center and a ground out to second to allow the Green and Gold to leave Melbourne with the 2-1 series win. 
 
McCabe Sargent tossed 5.2 innings and allowed just one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts. Amir Wright went 3-for-5 in game two with two runs scored and one RBI. Brett Coffel drove in two runs for the Green and Gold.
 
Up Next …
Saint Leo returns home to host Eckerd on April 29th for a doubleheader starting at 1pm.

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