SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Palm Beach Atlantic Saturday afternoon to fall in the Sunshine State Conference series 1-2. The Sailfish took a 13-6 victory in the opening game before winning the nightcap 8-4 in seven innings. Redshirt senior Jake Vander Wal vaulted into the top spot in seasonal batting average for the Lions after a 4-for-7 day at the plate on Saturday. He also accounted for five RBI, a pair of home runs, a double, a walk and three runs scored for a monstrous 1.571 slugging percentage.  
 
Junior Mike Wyman picked up three hits over the two games to go 3-for-6 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Redshirt junior PJ Barry and redshirt senior Danny Torres each picked up two hits on the day. Barry scored twice while Torres crossed the plate once.
 
On the mound junior Jestin Jones earned the start in game one and went 3.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts, three walks, seven hits and five runs allowed, four earned. Sophomore Dariel Fregio went the next inning and suffered the loss allowing four runs off of four hits. Three others closed out the game including freshman Drew Rudsinski and sophomores Andy Booth and Nathan Crissey. Booth saw the most action going 3.1 innings with a strikeout, no walks and four hits allowed. He saw just one run cross the plate.
 
Redshirt senior Jimmy Burnette picked up the start in game two and went 5.0 innings on the mound suffering the loss, his second of the season. He had seven strikeouts and four walks while allowing seven hits. Four runs crossed the plate including three earned. Three others combined to pitch the final two innings including redshirt junior Devin Blair, senior McCabe Sargent and redshirt senior Jeremy Peel.
 
The Lions and Sailfish traded three run first innings in the opening game. The Sailfish then took a 4-3 lead in the top of the third but two runs for the Lions in the bottom half gave Saint Leo its first lead of the day at 5-4. PBA quickly tied it at five in the fourth and then exploded for seven runs in the fifth to break the game open. The Sailfish would add one more in the sixth and the Lions tacked on a run in the eighth for a 13-6 final.
 
The second game started off much like the first for the Lions but not for the Sailfish. PBA went scoreless in the first but Vander Wal provided a three-run blast in the bottom half to put the Lions ahead 3-0. PBA scored two runs in the second and one in the third to tie the game at 3-3. After a scoreless fourth and fifth the Sailfish found their own three-run inning in the top of the sixth. The Lions rallied for one in the bottom half but the Sailfish added two more in the seventh to cement the lead. The Lions got a runner on in the bottom half but that was it as the Sailfish won 8-4.
 
Saint Leo will be back in action this Wednesday, March 24 at 6 p.m. as the Lions host Florida Southern.
 
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.
 
Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, holding competitions without fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.