SAINT LEO, Fla. – The 12^th-ranked Saint Leo baseball team and 20^th-ranked Nova Southeastern combined for 31 runs and 34 hits in the Sunday finale of a three-game Sunshine State Conference series. The Sharks pulled off the sweep of the Lions as they took the final game 18-13 inside Thomas B. Southard Stadium. The Lions connected on three homeruns but it was not enough to slow down the high-powered Nova Southeastern offense.
 
Both programs used five pitchers in the game as neither battery was able to figure out how to slow down the opposing hitters. Saint Leo starter Oscar Gordillo suffered his second loss of the season as he allowed six runs, five earned in two thirds of an inning. Nova Southeastern starter Derik Beauprez pitched 4.2 innings and took the no decision after allowing eight runs, five earned with four strikeouts. Sharks reliever Michael Gizzi was the most effective reliever for the NSU bullpen and earned his first win of the season after going 1.1 innings with a strikeout and just one hit allowed.
 
Eight of the nine Saint Leo starters picked up at least one hit in the contest with Zach Scott leading the way with three base knocks. Jared Morello, Peyton Isaacson and Aaron Portee all drove in three runs while Chase Turner and Brett Coffel had two RBI a piece.
 
NSU designated hitter Domini Diana went 5-of-6 at the plate with two RBI to lead the Sharks while left fielder Nathan Chevalier drove in a game-high five runs.
 
The loss drops Saint Leo's record to 26-8 on the season and 9-6 in conference play while the Sharks improved to 23-9 overall and 15-3 in SSC action.
 
The Sharks opened the scoring early as the pounded out six runs off of four hits and a Saint Leo error in the very first inning. One frame later, the Lions responded with three runs of their own. After Scott and Coffel reached base on a single and an error, respectively, Portee sent a long shot over the right field fence to cut the deficit in half, 6-3.
 
The Sharks then scored six unanswered runs including four in the third and one each in the fourth and fifth innings before the Lions came back to life.
 
Trailing 12-3, Saint Leo exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Morello began the momentum with a three-run shot over the right centerfield fence which score Portee and Derek Gibree. After a single by Isaacson and a ground-rule double from Scott, Coffel singled up the middle to drive in two more runs for the Lions.
 
Saint Leo held NSU off the scoreboard for just the second time in the game in the top of the sixth and tacked one three more runs off a Isaacson three-run blast in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit to just one at 12-11.
 
With the momentum swung in Saint Leo's favor the Sharks came back swinging in the seventh. Nova Southeastern belted out five hits and scored six runs to blow the game back open late in the contest, 18-11. The Lions tried to comeback in the eighth and tallied two more scores before the momentum ran out, 18-13.
 
Saint Leo will return to action Tuesday afternoon as the Lions host non-conference opponent Valdosta State at 5 pm inside Thomas B. Southard Stadium.  
 
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.