SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo baseball team opened up its Sunshine State Conference series with Lynn University Thursday night inside Thomas B. Southard Stadium. The Fighting Knights took advantage of five home runs to walk away with a 13-8 victory. The Lions and Fighting Knights will close out the series Saturday in Boca Raton with a doubleheader.
 
Redshirt junior PJ Barry and senior Sam Crail led the way for the Lions with three hits apiece. Barry was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, a home run and an RBI. Crail was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Three other Lions finished with two hits in the loss while redshirt junior Cooper Trinkle led the team with two RBI.
 
On the mound sophomore Dariel Fregio picked up the start and sat down the first five batters until the Fighting Knights broke the game open late in the second inning. Fregio suffered the loss, his the second of the season. Five other pitchers made appearances on the mound for the Lions with a pair, including sophomores Andy Booth and Nathan Crissey, keeping the Fighting Knights scoreless for 1.2 innings pitched each.
 
Following a two-run first inning by the Lions, The Fighting Knights broke the game open with two outs in the second. After a groundout and strikeout, Lynn picked up its first base runner with a walk. After a single and a walk the bases were loaded with two outs. Brandon Kruzinski, the number nine hitter for the Fighting Knights, connected on a grand slam over the left field fence. He was followed by the top two in the order hitting back-to-back solo home runs for three-in-a-row which opened up a 6-2 lead.
 
The Lions earned one run back in the third before the No. 1 and No. 2 in the order for the Fighting Knights went back-to-back with solo home runs for the second time in the game to increase the Lynn lead to 8-3. The Lions cut the lead to just three with two runs in the bottom on the fourth. Lynn struck for three more runs in the sixth to reopen an 11-5 advantage. Barry connected on a solo shot in the bottom half to cut the deficit to five again but the Fighting Knights responded with two more runs in the eighth. The Lions matched the two runs in the bottom half but that would be all they could muster as the Fighting Knights hung on for the 13-8 win.  
 
Saint Leo will be back in action Saturday, March 27 as the Lions travel to Boca Raton, Fla. for a doubleheader against Lynn beginning at noon.
 
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.