BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Saint Leo baseball team dropped its Sunshine State Conference series to Lynn after splitting Saturday's doubleheader with the Fighting Knights. The Lions fell in the opening game of the series Thursday at home before falling in the opening game of the doubleheader Saturday 7-4. The Lions rallied from behind in game two of the doubleheader and picked up a 5-4 victory after scoring four runs in the top of the seventh in a seven-inning contest.
 
The hero of game two was redshirt senior Jake Vander Wal who connected on his fourth home run of the season in the top of the seventh to plate three runs including the tying and go ahead runs with two outs and the game on the line. Overall in the victory Vander Wal was 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, a double, a home run and three RBI. Classmate Danny Torres provided the only other RBI for the Lions and that came in the third inning as Torres drove in senior Same Crail. Torres was one of three Lions to register one hit in the win while Vander Wal provided the only two extra base hits. Torres was 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI, a walk and a stolen base. Crail went 1-for-2 at the dish and scored two of the Lions five runs. He was walked twice and earned a stolen base.
 
Junior Jestin Jones picked up the win after going 6.0 innings on the mound with seven Ks and just two walks. He scattered five hits and allowed four runs including three earned. Senior closer McCabe Sargent came on in the bottom of the seventh and struck out one, walked one and did not allow a hit. The win was Jones' first of the year moving him to 1-0 while Sargent earned his second save of the season.
 
Lynn scored a run in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings while the Lions tallied one run in the third before exploding for four in the seventh.
 
Game one saw the Fighting Knights jump out to a 6-0 lead after four innings. The Lions battled back to get three runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to cut the lead to just two but that would be all the offense for Saint Leo as Lynn scored one more in the seventh and held on for the 7-4 victory. The Lions loaded the bases in the seventh but that would be the final inning Saint Leo would see any base runners.
 
Redshirt junior Cooper Trinkle and sophomore Yazael Nunez each had two hits in the loss. Trinkle was 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and a double. Nunez was 2-for-3 with a stolen base. Redshirt junior PJ Barry provided the scoring as he launched a three-run home run to left field in the fifth to register a team-best three RBI. Junior Mike Wyman drove in the only other score for SLU as he hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Torres in the sixth.
 
Redshirt senior Jimmy Burnette picked up the start in the opening game on the mound and went 3.1 innings with three strikeouts and a walk. He allowed six runs and 10 hits while falling to 0-3 on the season. Sophomore Andy Booth went the next 3.0 innings while striking out two and not allowing a walk. He saw one run cross the plate and scattered three hits. Sargent came in for the final 1.2 innings and struck out four while allowing just two base runners, a hit and a hit by pitch.
 
Saint Leo will be back in action Wednesday, March 31 as the Lions travel to Winter Park, Fla. for a single game against the Rollins Tars. The game is the first in a three-game conference series. The Lions and Tars will play at Saint Leo on Thursday, April 1 before closing out the series Friday, April 2 in Winter Park.
 
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.