Baseball Apr 27, 2021

Lions Ledger: Lions Look to Close out April Strong

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RECORDS: Saint Leo 7-14, 6-13 SSC | Nova Southeastern 10-9, 8-9 SSC
Saint Leo will play its final full Sunshine State Conference series this week as the Lions face off against Nova Southeastern. The Green and Gold will travel to Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday before hosting the Sharks for a doubleheader Friday marking the final home games of the 2021 season.
Redshirt junior Paul Coumoulos continues to lead the Lions in batting average with a .359 mark at the plate. Seniors Sam Crail and Danny Torres share the team lead in doubles with five while classmate Jake Vander Wal leads in triples (2) and home runs (5). Vander Wal has also driven in a team best 22 runs while Torres has scored a team-high 16 runs. Crail has been tearing up the base paths as of late and no has a team-best 11 stolen bases on 13 attempts this season.
Redshirt junior Devin Blair leads the pitching staff with a 2-0 record on the mound while redshirt sophomore Jared Beck is tied for the team lead in wins with two and sits at 2-2 on the season. Sophomore Andy Booth is the only Lion pitcher with below a 3.00 ERA so far this season as he sits at 1.80 through 15.0 innings pitched. Redshirt senior Jimmy Burnette now leads the team in strikeouts with 36 while also leading the team in innings pitched at 31.0. Six different pitchers have started games for the Lions this season with Burnette leading the way with six starts.
Nova Southeastern has won seven of the last nine games including taking three of four against Lynn this past week. Adan Fernandez leads the Sharks in batting average at .379 while three others are above .300. Fernandez also leads the team in runs scored (16), doubles (5), home runs (7) and RBI (17). Tyler Epstein is just one behind Fernandez in terms of RBI with 16 while leading the team in triples with a pair. The Sharks have used six different starting pitchers this season with JP Williams and Brady Acker leading the way with five starts each. Three different pitchers have earned two wins a piece while Williams and Matt Kavanaugh lead the way at 2-0. Williams has thrown a team-high 31.1 innings while also leading the team with 33 strikeouts.
HISTORY: The Lions and Sharks did not meet last season prior to the stoppage due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the Sharks took 2-of-3 from the Lions in Fort Lauderdale in 2019. The Lions trail in the all-time series with the Sharks 19-43. The last time the Lions won a three-game series against the Sharks came back in 2013 at home as Saint Leo swept the Sharks.

RECORDS: Saint Leo 3-4, 3-2 SSC | Rollins: 4-2, 3-2 SSC
Saint Leo split the week with PBA after a series of schedule changes that resulted in no competitions over the weekend. Jordan Williams was named the SSC Specialist of the Week after his work at the X against the Sailfish. Williams won 32-of-50 faceoffs (.640). The Floridian picked up a team-high 14 ground balls and tallied an assist. On the season, Williams has put together a 62-134 record (.463) at the face.
The Lions will honor its 10 seniors before its final game of the 2021 season at University Turf Stadium. Saint Leo will celebrate Collin Strait, Gunnar Luckoski, Liam Mueller, Jake Love, Will Toman, Devin Sparks, Justin Taylor, Jordan Williams, Jack Spera, and Matt Shand before taking on the Tars.
On the season, Tyler Eames lead the Green and Gold offense with 23 points scoring 14 goals and nine assists. He is followed by Matt Shand with 19 points as the Lions' main play maker with four goals and team-high 14 assists. Guy Bistow (12g, 2a) and Evan Wray (7g, 7a) each enter the game with 14 points while Ryan Marek has registered 12 (10g, 2a) and Justin Williams rounds off the double-digit point leaders with 10 (8g, 2a).
In the cage, Luckoski has compiled a 3-4 record after facing 318 shots and putting up 101 saves. He enters the game against Rollins with a .508 save percentage while allowing 13.99 goals per game.
Rollins heads to University Turf Stadium holding a three-game win streak after defeating Florida Southern twice and Palm Beach Atlantic.
Ryan Dunn is the Tars leading scorer with 23 goals and 10 assists for a team-high 33 points. He is followed by Bailey Pringle with 20 points (11g, 9a), Blake Buell with 13 points (8g, 5a), and Connor Coltharp with 10 points (7g, 3a).
Kyle Sudol leads the Tars at the face going 60-109 (.550). Meanwhile, Patrick Thomas (2-0) and Cody Iserman (2-2) have split the goalkeeping responsibilities.
HISTORY: Early this season, Saint Leo dropped a tight 15-13 decision in Winter Park, Fla. Seven Lions contributed points paced by junior attacker Evan Wray's career-high five points. The Port Coquitlam, B.C. native netted four goals off eight shots and tallied an assist. He also registered a pair of ground balls and two caused turnovers. Reece Hrycan scored a hat-trick, a career-high performance from the junior midfielder who also hails from Port Coquitlam, B.C. Meanwhile, Tyler Eames tallied four points scoring a season-high two goals paired with two assists. Play-maker Matt Shand also earned four points from four assists.

Saint Leo men's and women's track heads north to Jacksonville, Fla. to compete in the UNF Invitational hosted by the University of North Florida April 29-30. The Lions will be sending a small contingent who are looking to put up times in order to qualify for the upcoming NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships.
Three men and two women will be in action for the Lions over the two-day event as Shane Bracken, Pierre Galbourdin and Felix Nadeborn of the men and Paige Patterson and Tania Jarreau for the women look to improve their season-best times.
Senior Shane Bracken currently has the eighth fastest 800m time in NCAA Division II this season as well as the 10th fastest 1,500m time. He will look to lower his 1,500m time at the UNF meet. Galbourdin will be focusing on the 5K while Nadeborn will join Bracken in the 1,500m
Patterson will compete in the 3,000m steeplechase for the second time this season at UNF hoping to lower her previous time which she set at Embry-Riddle. Jarreau will be focusing on the 800m which will take place Friday afternoon.
The UNF Invitational is currently the final meet on the Lions' regular season schedule with NCAA Championship selections set to be announced May 18. This year's championship is set to be held May 27-29 at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.

Records

RECORDS: Saint Leo 16-11, 13-8 SSC | Nova Southeastern 9-7, 7-5 SSC

The Teams

Saint Leo looks to close out the regular season Friday and Sunday with a three-game series against Nova Southeastern after dropping its SSC series 2-1 to Tampa this past weekend. The Lions won the opening game 2-0 in nine innings before dropping the last three contests.
In the weekend series, Kacie Kelly tied the program's all-time hits record at 269 after going 6-for-15 on the week. Kelly scored four runs which pushed her to second all-time with 162 career runs scored. The Jacksonville, Fla. native continues to improve her own doubles record (55) and walks record (90) with two doubles and a walk against Tampa.
Kelly holds a slight edge in the batting average race standing at .392 with a team-best 31 hits and 15 runs scored. Morgan Shannon and Bayley Williams are battling it out for second on the team at .328 and .333, respectively.
On the mound, Shannon is the team leader in ERA at 0.89 with three saves and a 2-2 record while Kayla Betts is second at 1.75 with a team leading 8-3 record, innings pitched (72), strikeouts (77), and holds opponents to the lowest average at .160.
Nova Southeastern will host Florida Southern in a makeup doubleheader Wednesday before taking on the Lions. The Sharks are heading into the week of games after taking the SSC series 3-0 over Lynn but dropped and handed the Fighting Knights their first win in a 4-3 game in 11 innings.
Sam Sisco leads the Sharks on the season in 16 games played with a .333 average with a team-high 19 hits. Alexis Smith and Tia Williams are one-two in scoring with 14 and 12 runs, respectively.
Two pitchers have seen action for the Sharks where Emily Hess has appeared in 12 games and holds a 6-5 record, 1.40 ERA and has 35 strikeouts in 75 innings pitched. Mikayla Johnson has made seven appearances and sits at 3-2, 3.41 ERA, in 39 innings of work with just six strikeouts.

HIstory

History The two teams are deadlocked in the past 41 games with the Sharks sitting with 21 wins to the Lions' 20. The 2021 meeting will be the first since 2019 due to CoVID19 series getting cancelled. Under Coach Kinberger's guidance, the Green and Gold are 9-6 against the Sharks and put together a win-streak of six straight from March 31, 2015 to March 3, 2017 before the series has been bouncing back and forth. In 2019, NSU took the series 2-1 after Saint Leo won game one 7-4 the last two games went to the Sharks 2-0 and 1-0 (9 innings).

RECORDS: #23 Saint Leo 5-4, 3-3 SSC | #7 Florida Southern 5-1, 4-1 SSC
Saint Leo defeated the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish 20-9 during the program's senior day on Saturday. The Lions wrapped up the 2021 home schedule honoring Delaney Chrisco, Ashley Salvett, Emma Crafton, and Nina Urban. For their work against PBA, the Sunshine State Conference named Ashlee Wilsynski and Ashley Salvett Players of the Week in their respective positions. Wilsynski earned her third all-time SSC Offensive Player of the Week honor, her second of the 2021 shortened season. The sophomore attacker tied the program's single game point record in the one game week against the Sailfish. Wilsynski scored five goals and five assists off nine shots, placing eight on frame. Her double-digit day matched Leslie Ferguson's 10 points, which she set on April 6, 2019 at PBA. In addition, the Baltimore, Maryland product won a draw control and picked up a ground ball. Salvett also reeled in her third career SSC Defensive Player of the Week honor marking her first of the 2021 season. The Syracuse, New York product recorded a season-high nine draw controls and then topped off her last appearance at University Turf Stadium with her first collegiate goal. The 2019 All-American rounded out senior day with two points while causing a turnover.
Ashlee Wilsynski has racked up 43 points (29g, 14a) followed by five teammates who have also earned double-digit points during the shortened season. Fiona McLaughlin has had a tremendous freshman campaign with 33 points (32g, 1a) while Delaney Chrisco has tallied 31 points (27g, 4a).
Ashley Salvett leads the team off of the draw with 42 draw controls followed by Chrisco with 26.
In the cage, Emma Crafton holds a 4-4 record after facing 220 shots and putting up 71 saves. The senior goalie enters the season finale with a .441 save percentage while allowing 11.66 goals per game.
Florida Southern: last played on Wednesday, April 14 where the Moccasins took down the Lynn Fighting Knights, 18-2. Florida Southern will first play Lynn again, on Wednesday before hosting the Lions.
Marina Jozokos enters the week as the team's point leader with 30 (18g, 12a) followed by Hailey Daleo with 24 (22g, 2a), Lizzy Lynch with 21 (15g, 6a), Sarah Grady with 17 (9g, 8a), and Maliah Benedetto with 13 (10g, 3a).
Benedetto leads the Mocs' off the draw with 35 suported by Madison Kennedy with 20.
Goalkeepers Patricia Werker and Brittany Iamele have each earned three starts. Werker holds a 3-0 record with 12 saves while Iamele has compiled a 2-1 mark with 31 saves.
History: The teams last met in the second game of the Green and Gold's season, back on March 24. The No. 20 Lions got on the board first but was unable to upset the No. 8 Florida Southern Moccasins in a 17-4 decision Wednesday night at University Turf Stadium. Fiona McLaughlin went 2-for-2 on the night. Her pair of goals were joined by a ground ball, caused turnover, and draw control. Ashlee Wilsynski scored the Lions' other two goals of the night.

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Players Mentioned

#25 Kayla Betts: P/UTL; 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R

#12 Kacie Kelly: INF; 5' 3"; Fifth Year; L/R

#1 Bayley Williams: OF; 5' 0"; Junior; L/R

#42 Tyler Eames: A; 6' 2"; Junior

#52 Reece Hrycan: M; 5' 10"; Junior

#14 Jake Love: D; 6' 4"; Senior

#22 Gunnar Luckoski: GK; 6' 0"; Senior

#4 Ryan Marek: M; 5' 11"; Junior

#46 Liam Mueller: M; 5' 10"; Senior

#51 Matt Shand: M; 6' 2"; Graduate Student; Elementary Education

Players Mentioned

#25 Kayla Betts
: 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R
: P/UTL

#12 Kacie Kelly
: 5' 3"; Fifth Year; L/R
: INF

#1 Bayley Williams
: 5' 0"; Junior; L/R
: OF

#42 Tyler Eames
: 6' 2"; Junior
: A

#52 Reece Hrycan
: 5' 10"; Junior
: M

#14 Jake Love
: 6' 4"; Senior
: D

#22 Gunnar Luckoski
: 6' 0"; Senior
: GK

#4 Ryan Marek
: 5' 11"; Junior
: M

#46 Liam Mueller
: 5' 10"; Senior
: M

#51 Matt Shand
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student; Elementary Education
: M