Lions Ledger: Busy Weekend Ahead for Saint Leo Athletics

Mar 11, 2021

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RECORDS Saint Leo 3-1, 3-0 SSC, Florida Southern 2-2, 1-2 SSC
Saint Leo faces off with Florida Southern after posting a 3-1 record in the season opening series against Barry. The Lions won the first game on March 4 which was the Sunshine State Conference game 3-0 before dropping the non-conference game 6-3 on the road. Saint Leo rallied at home to sweep the doubleheader and win the series, 3-1, after posting a 3-2 walk-off in the bottom of the seventh and then an 8-0 run rule in five innings to close the series.
The Lions saw Morgan Shannon put together a .600 batting average with three hits in five at-bats with three runs scored while Grace Spitulski was close behind at .500 with four hits in eight at-bats with two runs scored. The duo each tallied an RBI on the weekend.
From the circle, Kayla Betts is leading the way with a 2-0 record and a 1.20 ERA with 11.2 innings of work and 18 strikeouts. Betts notched her career best 11 strikeouts in game three of the series in the Lions' 3-2 win. Shannon is second on the team in ERA (1.24), innings pitched (11.1), record (1-0), strikeouts (12), and opponents' batting average (.171).
Florida Southern enters at 2-2 after splitting the series with the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish to open the year with a 6-2 loss, 7-4 win, 3-0 win, and a 6-0 loss.
The Moccasins's Chloe Potts paced the team in batting average in the first four games with two hits on five at-bats with two runs scored.
Mel Rogers and Kaylee Cowart posted the lone two wins for the Mocs in the circle, while Rogers holds a .78 ERA in nine innings of work
HISTORY The two teams meet for the first time since 2019 after the 2020 series was cancelled due to the COVID19 Pandemic. The Lions hold an 18-2 record in the last 20 meetings, while sitting at 15-1 under current head coach Erin Kinerbger. A series that used to alternate every two to three wins saw a long string of wins by the Lions after a 1-0 loss in 2014, Saint Leo ripped off 16 straight wins before the 4-0 loss in 2019. The Lions rallied to stomp the Mocs 8-0 in five innings in the final game of the 2019 series.

Saint Leo men's and women's track travels to the University of Tampa Saturday for a tri-meet with the Spartans and the Mocs of Florida Southern College. Saturday will be the Lions second meet of the season after a strong performance at the Eagle Invitational hosted by Embry-Riddle on March 6.
Senior Shane Bracken of the men's team posted the fastest 1,500m time in NCAA Division II so far this season. His 3:51.19 led the field and is nearly four seconds faster than the next best time.
Freshman Anna O'Connor and sophomore Robyn Burrows each picked up event wins for the women. O'Connor topped the field in the 5,000m in her first collegiate race while Burrows took home the 200m title.
The Lions final meet of the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season came at the University of Tampa in the UT Track Classic on February 28. Then-sophomore Aoife Mahony led the way with a pair of event wins including the 800m and 1,500m while also helping the Lions capture the 4x800m title. The Lion men also won the 4x800m crown while then-freshman Fabio Fornarelli picked up the top individual finish with a second place showing in the 1,500m.

Saint Leo travels to Valdosta, Ga. for the Southeastern Intercollegiate March 15-16 after competing at the Matlock Invitational March 8-9 where the Lions finished in eighth.
Francois Cilliers paced the team with an eighth-place finish at five-over for the 54-hole tournament as Jake Nash finished in 16th to round out the top-20 placers.
A year ago, in what would be the final tournament of the 2020 season, the Green and Gold placed fifth out of the 18 team field with an 873 (+9) as a group.
Dave Longhini led the team at the 2020 Southeastern Intercollegiate at 213 (-3) for a second-place finish. Kevin Johnson placed 16th at one-over as the lone two players inside the top-20 of the field.

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