Lions Ledger: Another Busy April Week for Saint Leo Athletics

Apr 12, 2021

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RECORDS: Saint Leo 6-8, 5-7 SSC | Florida Southern 9-6, 8-5 SSC | Florida Tech 7-9, 6-8 SSC
Saint Leo baseball jumps back into action with four games this week after having just one last week. The Lions will face Florida Southern at home to complete a three-game set with the Moccasins. The Lions will then travel to Florida Tech on Friday before returning home Saturday for a doubleheader with the Panthers.
The Lions improved to 2-0 versus Florida Southern this season with a 12-2 victory last Wednesday in Lakeland.
Sophomore Yazael Nunez has taken over the batting average lead on the squad as he enters the week with a .364 average, climbing 14 points from last week. He is tied for the team lead in doubles with four, while second on the team in hits (16) and stolen bases (3) this season. Redshirt senior Jake Vander Wal continues to lead the team in RBI (15) and home runs (5) while classmate Danny Torres leads the team in hits (17), stolen bases (4) and is tied for the lead in doubles with four.
Redshirt junior Devin Blair leads the pitching staff with a 2-0 record on the mound while redshirt sophomore Jared Beck recently improved to 2-1 on the mound. Andy Booth (2.13), Nathan Crissey (2.45) and Devin Blair (2.57) all have below a 3.00 ERA so far this season. Jimmy Burnette now leads the team in strikeouts with 25 and while Beck leads in innings pitched at 21.1. Five different pitchers have started games for the Lions this season with Jestin Jones and Burnette leading the way with four each.
Florida Southern is 9-6 this season and most recently swept a doubleheader over the Panthers of Florida Tech in Melbourne. Vaun Brown leads the team with a .371 batting average but Jacob Teter is not far behind at .362. Brown leads the team with 10 home runs and 20 RBI. The Mocs have used five different starting pitchers this season with Nathan Madej and Jarrod Cande leading the way with five starts each. Four of their pitchers who have seen action have a sub-3.00 ERA so far this season including one, Michael DeSanti, with a perfect 0.00. Madej leads the squad with 25 Ks over 20.1 innings pitched.
Florida Tech is 7-9 this season and has dropped five-straight including a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Florida Southern. Raul Quintero leads the team with a .327 batting average with a team-best five doubles. He also ranks tied for second on the team with eight RBI. Jakob Newton leads the team in RBI with 11 while tying for first on the team in home runs with two. Justin Lorenz leads the pitching staff with a 2-0 record. He is one of five Panthers to start a game on the mound this season. Lorenz and Mitchell Harding have each started five games for the Panthers. Two pitchers who have seen action this season have a sub.-3.00 ERA and they both sport a perfect 0.00 mark. Daniel Vassallo leads the team with 21 strikeouts while Harding has seen the most innings pitched at 21.1.
HISTORY: Saint Leo has won both meetings with the Mocs this season including a 14-7 victory at home and a 12-2 win on the road. Since 2017, the Lions have won 2-of-3 versus the Mocs every season except 2020 when the two teams did not meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lions have taken 2-of-3 over the Panthers for the last two meetings between the two squads in 2019 and 2018 but the Panthers won 2-of-3 in 2017. The two teams did not meet in 2020 due to the COVID-19 shortened season.

RECORDS: No. 22 Saint Leo 3-3, 2-2 SSC | No. 6 Tampa 5-1, 4-1 SSC | Lynn 1-3, 1-3 SSC
No. 22 Saint Leo is on a two-game win streak after taking care of Florida Tech (14-7) and Palm Beach Atlantic (17-14) last week. Delaney Chrisco put up 11 points (10 goals, 1 assist) to hand the No. 22 Saint Leo Lions a 2-0 week against Florida Tech and Palm Beach Atlantic. The graduate student midfielder registered a .632 shot on goal percentage taking 19 total slings, 12 landing on frame, and 10 finding the back of the net. Chrisco's offensive onslaught tallied a game-winner, a man-up goal, she went 1-for-2 from eight meters out, won six draw controls, caused a pair of turnovers, and picked up six ground balls. Her outstanding week reached career milestone 100 points, moving Chrisco into the seventh all-time in program history in career points.
Chrisco now leads the team in points at 24 with 21 season goals and three assists. The graduate student also leads the Lions in caused turnovers with 11. She has collected 16 draw controls behind team leader Ashley Salvett with 25. Fiona McLaughlin has also found the back of the net 21 times and added an assist for 22 points. The freshman attacker holds a .778 shooting percentage along side a dangerous .963 shot on goal percentage.
On the backline, Marisa Souchak has forced double digit turnovers with Chrisco with 10. In the cage, Emma Crafton has a 2-3 record after six starts while Rachel Smythe has captured a 1-0 record after 31 minutes of action. Crafton has helped the Lions with 52 saves while Smythe has contributed six, five from her work at Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday.
No. 6 Tampa also enters the week holding a two-game win streak after defeating Florida Tech (10-5) and Lynn (17-6). Cece Colombo paces the Spartan offense with 26 points from 10 goals and 16 assists. She is helped by leading scorer, Genie Santarpio with 18 points, netting 15 goals and three assists. Three Spartans have earned double digit draw controls. Santarpio has picked up 20 followed closely by Colombo with 19. Lizzie Pierpont rounds off the trio with 13. Colombo also leads the team in caused turnovers with 11.
Goalkeepers Alex Walling and Bridget Sutter have split the starts in the net. Walling is 3-1 between the pipes after 33 saves while Sutter is 2-0 with 22 saves. Sutter was last in the net against Lynn.
History: The Lions and Spartans opened the season in Tampa on March 20. The, then, No. 9 Spartans escaped the No. 20 Lions' second half rally in a tight 10-9 final.
Lynn looks to snap a three-game losing skid after facing Rollins (15-7), Palm Beach Atlantic (17-14), and Tampa (17-6). The Fighting Knights opened the season in the win column defeating Florida Tech, 16-15 in overtime. Before facing the Lions, the Fighting Knights will battle the Moccasins of Florida Southern on Wednesday, April 14 at 6 p.m. in Lakeland, Fla.
On the season, Isabella Clark leads the Fighting Knights with 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) followed by Sydney Hill with 11 (6 goals, five assists). Erin Bodmer has tallied 16 draw controls supported by Delaney Popella with 10. Defensively, Mackinsey Hamer has caused a team-high seven turnovers. In the net, Annastasia Iliff has earned a 1-3 mark with 19 saves.
History: Saturday's meeting marks the first-ever women's lacrosse meeting between the Lynn Fighting Knights and Saint Leo Lions. Lynn added its' women's lacrosse program for the 2020 season, which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RECORDS: Saint Leo 2-2, 2-1 SSC | No. 2 Tampa 6-0, 5-0 SSC | No. 19 Lynn 3-1, 2-1 SSC
Saint Leo celebrated an overtime win at Florida Southern on Thursday netted by Guy Bistrow who tallied two on the night. Tyler Eames paced the Saint Leo offense in the victory. The junior attacker earned a season-high five points scoring four goals and earning an assist. Eames took nine total shots, seven of which he placed on frame. The Canadian also picked up two ground balls.
On the season, Eames has earned a team-high 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) followed by Matt Shand with 11 (2 goals, 9 assists). Evan Wray has put away six goals and three assists for nine points while compiling an impressive .923 shot on goal percentage.
Off the face, Jordan Williams has won 24-of-64 while Michael Flores has taken 19-of-50 appearances at the X. Gunnar Luckoski has earned 2-2 record in the net after a stellar senior campaign featuring 50 saves while facing 184 shots adding up to a .435 save percentage.
No. 2 Tampa remains undefeated after six straight wins after facing Saint Leo (24-8), Palm Beach Atlantic (29-3), No. 15 Florida Southern (22-7), Florida Tech (16-7), Rollins (10-7), and Lynn (7-6).
Five Spartans have recorded double digit points: Jack Wood (33pts: 15g, 18a), Ben French (30pts.: 22g, 8a), Jake Mosher McGraaw (15pts: 11g, 4a), Bryan Wright (15pts: 12g, 3a), and Luke McAneny (12pts.: 6a, 6a).
Off the face, Ross Dickerson has won 86-of-112 battles at the X while teammate Hunter Turner has won 11-of-21. In the net, three Spartans have taken on goaltending responsibilities. Blake Ulmer has earned all six starts translating to a 6-0 record. He has collected 51 saves while Alexander Starr has earned 13 saves in 40 minutes of work and B.J. Borowski has earned seven stops after 21 minutes in the cage.
History: The Lions and Spartans opened the season at University Turf Stadium on March 19. The non-conference opener handed Saint Leo a 24-8 loss.
No. 19 Lynn took its first loss of the season on Saturday from Tampa, 7-6. The Fighting Knights look to get back on track hosting Florida Southern on Wednesday before heading to Saint Leo, Fla.
Lynn boasts four double digit point leaders: Davis Diamon (15pts.: 6g, 9a), Nick McCabe (14pts.: 10g, 4a), Zander Cosenza (10 pts.: 8g, 2a), and Fisher Williams (10 pts.: 4g, 6a).
Dryden Bradley leads the Fighting Knights at the X winning 60-of-87 faceoffs. In the net, Colin Casey has earned all four starts with a 3-1 record earning 41 saves.
History: Saint Leo and Lynn both enter Saturday's game remembering their previous five-day dance in Boca Raton, Fla. During the 2019 campaign, the teams had back-to-back meetings to conclude the season and open the first round of the SSC Tournament Championship. After the Lions' toes got stepped on by the Fighting Knights in overtime, 11-10, Saint Leo, seeded fourth, turned around and went back to the East coast to upset the first seed Fighting Knights, 9-7. The Green and Gold went on to finish the SSC Tournament as the conference runners-up.

RECORDS: No. 3 Saint Leo 7-0, 6-0 SSC | No. 2 Barry 5-0, 5-0 SSC
No. 3 Saint Leo has been unstoppable this season as the Lions will look to defend their perfect record against Barry, who is also undefeated. Last week, Saint Leo celebrated its' six graduating seniors before defeating No. 12 Florida Southern, 5-2.
On Thursday, April 8, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released updated team rankings along with the season's first individual singles and doubles rankings. Saint Leo maintained its team's third ranking while boasting singles rankings in No. 13 Bruno Faletto, No. 18 Nicolas Bacella, and No. 21 Aurel Ciocanu. The Green and Gold continued to haul in national rankings in doubles play as well as two pairs were honored. No. 3 Alexander Parker and Christopher Traut and No. 15 Ciocanu and Willem Van Den Akker were named two of the top teams in the country.
No. 21 Ciocanu remains undefeated in singles after recording a 6-0 third flight record plus a win in the first flight. Dynamic doubles team, No. 3 Parker and Traut also hold a perfect mark going 6-0 in the first flight and capturing a victory in the second flight.
No. 2 Barry will face the Tritons of Eckerd before hosting the Green and Gold in the ITA Top-3 showdown. The Buccaneers roster lists No. 1 Alessandro Giuliato, No. 44 Hugo Cazaban, and doubles teams No. 5 Tim Buttner and Ignasi Forcano and No. 7 Alessandro Giuliato and Hugo Cazaban.
History: The programs last met on March 23, 2019 when the, then, No. 1 Barry Buccaneers handed the No. 4 Lions a 6-1 loss in Miami Shores, Fla.

RECORDS: No. 25 Saint Leo 13-6, 10-5 SSC | Florida Tech 9-8, 7-6 SSC
Saint Leo returns to the diamond after more than 10 days off and will host Florida Tech for a doubleheader at University Softball Stadium. The Lions will return to action after dropping its last series 2-1 to no. 6 Rollins, 6-3, 0-3, 1-3. The two teams will face off in a four-game series, three Sunshine State Conference games with one non-conference tilt.
On the year, Morgan Shannon leads the team in average through 19 games played at .365, while Kacie Kelly is the overall team leader at .392 in 16 games. Kelly is the team leader in hits, 20, doubles, four, and RBI, 11. Shannon leads the team in stolen bases with eight while Alyssa Perez is close on her heels with seven.
Kayla Betts has been the no. 1 thus far on the season and has a team-high 51.2 innings of work with 57 strikeouts, carrying a 2.26 ERA into the weekend. Morgan Shannon is sitting at 0.84 ERA in 32.1 IP with 26 strikeouts while Madi Mott (1.37 ERA, 19.2 IP), and Sadi Avants (2.01 ERA, 22.1 IP) round out the Lions' pitching staff with over 10 innings of work.
Kelly (8th) and Shannon (12th) are in the top-15 in the SSC in average while the duo scatter across the league leaders in every major category. The Saint Leo pitching staff ranks among the SSC's top pitchers while Betts is leading the league in opponents' batting average at .136. Mott and Avants are 1-2, respectively in fewest hits allowed at 12 and 14.
Florida Tech enters the weekend after postponing two games against Florida Southern scheduled for April 10 and hold a 2-0 record over the Mocs with 5-2, 7-6 victories. The Panthers are riding a four-game win streak into the matchup.
Cheyenne Nelson leads the Panthers in batting average with a mark of .411 in 17 games played, with Chloe French close behind at .404. Nelson holds the team lead in hits with 23 and is tied for the lead in RBI at 11.
All five Tech pitchers are over a 2.41 ERA with Lawlis holding the low with a 4-5 record in 40.2 IP. Samantha Guider is second on the team in ERA (2.81) and leads the staff in innings pitched at 42.1. Lawlis holds a team-high 31 strikeouts.
Nelseon is fifth in the league in average at .411 while French is sixth at .404 and Victoria Szrom eighth with a .392 average. Lawless is ranked 14th in ERA with a 2.41 mark.
History Saint Leo holds a 23-15 record with a 12-4 record under the direction of head coach Erin Kinberger. Over the span, the Lions had an 11-game win streak from Feb. 7, 2016 to March 2, 2019 when the Panthers final snuck a 2-1 win in in Melbourne. The head-to-head has seen six shutouts in favor of the Lions in the past seven years with the Green and Gold notching a 15-0 win in 2016.

RECORDS: No. 10 Saint Leo 6-2, 6-2 SSC | No. 5 Lynn 5-2, 5-2 SSC
No. 10 Saint Leo look enters the regular season finale on a two-match win streak. Last week, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national poll ranked No. 4 Molly Helgesson in singles action, No. 15 Helgesson and Lavinia Lancellotti in doubles teams.
No. 4 Helgesson has earned a 7-1 first flight record while with partner Lancellotti, the No. 15 team has generated a 6-2 first doubles flight record.
No. 5 Lynn enters the week on a three-match win streak. Before facing the No. 10 Lions, the Fighting Knights will host the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish on Tuesday.
History: Saint Leo fell to Lynn twice during the 2019 campaign. The Fighting Knights last upset the Lions 4-1 in the SSC Tournament Championship. During the regular season, the, then, No. 5 Fighting Knights handing in a 6-1 decision over the No. 7 Lions on February 16, 2019.

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