SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo University baseball team tried to make a comeback Friday night after surrendering seven runs over the first three innings of play but the run would come up just short against the visiting second-ranked Spartans of the University of Tampa. Saint Leo had four hitters finish with two or more base knocks in the game and saw a strong relief pitching performance from junior Joey Antonopoulos.
 
The loss drops the Lions record to 14-8 on the year and 3-4 in Sunshine State Conference play while the Spartans improved to 18-5 on the season and 4-3 in league action.
 
Senior Brett Coffel led the Lions offensively as he went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and two RBI. Senior Aaron Portee added a 2-for-3 performance with a double and an RBI while senior Peyton Isaacson drove in a team-high three runs while going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk.
 
Junior Amir Wright was the only other Lion with a multi-hit day as he went 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double and a walk.
 
Sophomore McCabe Sargent was tabbed for his first start of the season and went 5.1 innings on the mound for the Lions. He allowed eight hits and eight runs including seven earned. He struck out a pair and walked four. Antonopoulos came on in the sixth with one out and went the distance, 3.2 innings. He struck out five and walked one while allowing just two hits. The only runner to cross the plate while he was on the mound came in the sixth in the form of an inherited runner from Sargent.
 
The Lions took an early 1-0 lead in the first but it could have been more. After a groundout to open the inning, senior Jared Morello doubled down the left field line. He was brought home by Isaacson in the very next at bat with a single through the left side. Coffel then singled to make it first and second with one out. After a fly out, Portee loaded the bases with a single of his own. With the bases loaded, the inning ended with a fly out to left centerfield.
 
Tampa went on to scored three runs in the second and four in the third. The four runs in the third came off a grand slam that drove in three runners who had reached by either a walk or hit by pitch.
 
After a scoreless fourth, the Lions exploded for five runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to just one. Wright had a double in the inning and Isaacson posted a two-RBI single down the left field line. Coffel followed up with a two-RBI double to left centerfield and was brought home by a bloop double from Portee.
 
The Spartans scratched across a run in the sixth to make it 8-6 and the Lions were never able to get a run across again. Saint Leo had a runner on in the sixth, two in the seventh and two in the eighth but it was not enough to produce the tying tally.
 
The Lions and Spartans will return to the field tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. as they begin a doubleheader to decide the winner of the three-game SSC series.   
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo baseball team be sure to 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.