WINTER PARK, Fla. – A late rally was not enough for the Saint Leo baseball team as the Lions fell Friday afternoon on the road to the Rollins Tars, 7-3, to drop the Sunshine State Conference series. The Tars plated two runs in the first, one in the fourth and two more in the fifth before the Lions were able to get their offense started.
 
Redshirt senior Danny Torres led the Lions with two hits as he went 2-for-5 at the plate while four others each picked up one hit. Senior Sam Crail posted the lone extra base hit for Saint Leo as he connected on a double and also earned one of Saint Leo's three RBI. Redshirt junior PJ Barry platted the other two runs with his lone base hit of the day.
 
On the mound, junior Jestin Jones suffered his first loss of the season after earning the start. He went 4.1 innings on the mound with five strikeouts versus just one walk. He allowed nine hits and saw five runs cross the plate including four earned. Four other Lion pitchers combined for the final 3.2 innings. Redshirt Junior Devin Blair led the contingent with 1.2 innings of hitless baseball on the mound. He struck out one and walked one in relief.
 
The Tars opened up a 5-0 lead after the first five innings of action while holding the Lions to just one hit in that same span. The Lions opened up their scoring in the sixth as redshirt junior Adrien Roa earned a one out walk. Junior Mike Wyman then delivered the Lions second hit of the game, a single to left field advancing Roa to second. The next batter struck out but both Roa and Wyman were able to advance a base on a wild pitch on the strikeout. The very next batter, PJ Barry, came through with a two out single to left field to plate both Roa and Wyman to cut the Lion deficit to 5-2. A walk extended the inning but after a pitching change the Tars were able to pick up a groundout to finish the inning.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the seventh but the Lions threatened as Torres led off the inning with a hit to right field and made his way to third thanks to a passed ball and an error by the pitcher on a pick-off attempt. Torres was caught off the base on a grounder that the pitcher threw behind him at third base for the second out of the inning. Redshirt senior Jake Vander Wal was the recipient of the fielder's choice and he ended up making his way to third as well due to a pair of wild pitches but a strikeout ended the threat as the Lions still trailed 5-2.
 
The Tars took advantage of a pair of walks in the eighth and used a squeeze play and a single to plate their final two runs of the game making it 7-2 heading into the final frame. The Lions threatened to make a rally in the ninth as sophomore Yazael Nunez led off the inning with a single through the left side. He then moved to second on a wild pitch and was pushed to third on a single by Torres to left. With runners on first and third, Crail hit a fly ball to centerfield which was deep enough to plate Nunez on a sacrifice. Vander Wal followed with a hit by pitch putting the tying run in the on deck circle which forced the third pitching change of the day for the Tars. The closer was able to induce a strikeout and a foul out to the catcher to end the game, 7-3.
 
The Lions have just one game on the schedule next week as they travel to Florida Southern on Wednesday, April 7 for a 6 p.m. first pitch in Lakeland.   
 
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.