BOCA RATON, Fla. – Both teams combined for 20 runs Friday afternoon as the Saint Leo baseball team opened its three game series at Sunshine State Conference rival Lynn. The Fighting Knights edged the Lions 11-9 as runs came early and often in the contest. Redshirt junior James McCallum led the way for Saint Leo as he went 3-for-4 at the plate from the six slot while driving in a game-high five runs.
 
The loss drops the Lions to 2-12 in 2020 including 1-3 in Sunshine State Conference play. The Fighting Knights improved to 8-6-1 overall and 3-1 in league action.
 
The Lions belted out 10 hits led by McCallum's three. Five of the 10 hits went for extra bases with McCallum going deep for his team-high tying fourth home run of the season. Freshman Zach Benson, senior Brett Esau, sophomore Mike Wyman and redshirt junior Danny Torres all turned in doubles Friday afternoon. McCallum was the lone Lion with more than one base knock.
 
Sophomore Ruddy Gomez suffered the loss on the mound, his second of the season. He went 5.1 innings with 10 runs allowed. He struck out six and walked three while giving up 12 hits. Senior Joey Antonopoulos and freshman Andy Booth also saw time on the mound. Antonopoulos pitched a third of an inning while Booth picked up the final 2.1.
 
The Lions struck first in the opening inning as junior Sam Crail drove in Benson on an RBI groundout. Lynn answered with three in the bottom half after loading the bases with no outs. The Lions battled back to take the lead in the third after McCallum produced an RBI single in the second to cut the lead to one. McCallum stepped to the plate in the third with two runners on and picked up his fourth home run of the season as he pulled the ball over the right field fence. The long shot gave the Lions a 5-3 lead.
 
Lynn answered McCallum's home run with a two-run dinger of its own in the bottom of the third to tie the game at five. Two more runs by Lynn in the fourth opened up a 7-5 lead for the home team. McCallum delivered again in the fifth as he drove in a run with a single to right field and then watched as the Lions tied the game at seven on a wild pitch.
 
The Fighting Knights put the game away in the sixth with four runs off of four hits, a walk and a hit by pitch. The Lions tried to make another run at the Fighting Knights with a single run in the eighth and another in the ninth.
 
The Lions will close out their series with Lynn tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. as they begin a doubleheader in Boca Raton.  
 
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