TAMPA, Fla. – The Saint Leo baseball team went toe-to-toe with the #8 Tampa Spartans Saturday but came up just short of the upset victory as UT walked away with 6-4 and 7-4 victories in the Sunshine State Conference doubleheader. The Lions matched the Spartans hit-for-hit as both teams finished with 13 on the day but the Spartans were able to push across just four more runs than the Lions to remain atop the SSC standings.
 
Ten Lions picked up hits over the two contests with three earning a pair of base knocks. Junior Eddie Niemann III was 2-for-4 in the opening game of the day while redshirt senior Jackson Blevins went 2-for-3 in the nightcap while driving in two including himself on a solo home run. Redshirt junior Paul Coumoulos played in both contests and went 2-for-6 at the plate.
 
The Lions had just five extra base hits including two home runs. The HRs came off the bat of Blevins and freshman Brody Slaughter who each only saw action in game two. Blevins was the lone Lion with multiple RBI at two while redshirt junior Cooper Trinkle, redshirt senior Jake Vander Wal and Slaughter each drove in one.   
 
Redshirt senior Jimmy Burnette earned the start in game one on the mound and went a strong 7.0 innings while striking out six and walking three. He allowed just five hits over his seven innings but saw six runs cross the plate including four earned. Burnette suffered the loss to move to 1-5 on the season. Senior McCabe Sargent took the ball in game two and went 6.0 innings with six strikeouts and four walks. He scattered four hits and saw four runs cross the plate. Sophomore Yazael Nunez suffered the loss in game two coming on in the seventh inning of the seven inning game and suffered a three-run home run giving him his first loss of the year.
 
The Lions took the early lead in game one as Trinkle drove in redshirt junior PJ Barry in the second inning on an RBI single to right centerfield. The Spartans answered back in the bottom of the third with a run of their own to tie things up at one. After a scoreless fourth, the Lions struck again in the fifth as Vander Wal sent a single up the middle to score Nunez. Tampa took their first lead of the day in the bottom half of the fifth with a pair of runs. They would add to the lead in the seventh with a three-run home run putting themselves up 6-2 late in the game. The Lions mounted a late comeback in the ninth as Barry led off the inning with a double down the left field line. After a strikeout, Niemann III sent a single to third base which held Barry at second. After a pitching change, redshirt senior Danny Torres earned a HBP to load the bases with just one out. Following a strikeout, senior Sam Crail sent a ball past the third baseman which scored both Barry and sophomore Zach Benson who came on as a pinch runner for Niemann III. Down by just two with runners on first and second the Spartans were able to get a strikeout to end the game.
 
The second game played out much like the first with the Lions making a late comeback. Saint Leo took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second as Blevins drove in Vander Wal on an RBI groundout. The Spartans were able to plate three runs in the bottom half of the inning, but a Spartans error in the top of the third led to the Lions second run of the game cutting the deficit to 3-2. Tampa tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth which set-up the late game rally for the Lions. Down 4-2 in the seventh and final inning, the Lions picked up back-to-back solo home runs by Blevins and Slaughter to tie the game at 4-4 with no outs in the inning. Unfortunately, the Lions were unable to get any more runs across which led to the dramatic bottom half of the inning.
 
Nunez was able to get the first batter to pop up to left field but the next two Spartans reached on singles to center field. Jamarcus Lyons, who had hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning of the first game stepped to the plate with the same scenario and was able to produce the same results to earn the walk-off victory for the Spartans, their 15^th of the season.  
 
The Lions will next be in action Wednesday, April 28 at Nova Southeastern as they open up a three-game SSC series with the Sharks. The Sharks and Lions will play a doubleheader Friday, April 30 inside Thomas B. Southard Stadium to conclude the series which will also mark the final home date on the Lions' 2021 schedule.  
 
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, limiting the number of 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.