SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo baseball team honored six seniors who were playing their final home games wearing the Green and Gold before earning a split with visiting Nova Southeastern. Redshirt senior Jimmy Burnette, who will be returning next season, went the full 7.0 innings on the mound in game two to lead the Lions to victory while striking out nine while sophomore Yazael Nunez had himself a day at the plate going 6-for-8 over the two contests including a perfect 4-for-4 in the win. The Sharks took game one 13-7 before the Lions wrapped up the series with a 10-3 victory in the nightcap.
 
The split moves the Lions' record to 8-16 on the year and 7-15 in Sunshine State Conference play while the Sharks moved to 12-10 overall and 10-10 in league action.
 
Saint Leo honored its six departing seniors including Joey Antonopoulos, James McCallum, Jeremy Peel, McCabe Sargent, Danny Torres and Jake Vander Wal. Five of the six saw action in the opening game with the lone holdout being McCallum who has missed this entire season due to injury.
 
Burnette threw a gem of a game holding the Sharks to just three runs including two earned while striking out nine and walking two. He became the first Lion pitcher this season to throw a complete game and improved to 2-5 on the season. He scattered five hits over the seven innings and allowed just two extra bases knocks.
 
Nunez led the offense going 6-for-8 at the plate with three runs scored, an RBI and a walk. Redshirt junior Paul Coumoulos was not far behind with a 5-for-9 day that included a team-best five RBI and a run scored. Coumoulos went 3-for-5 in the loss with three RBI before going 2-for-4 in the victory with two RBI.
 
Vander Wal opened his senior day on a tear going 4-for-4 in his first four at bats before finishing 4-for-8 for the day. He had a double, a homerun, a walk, two RBI and four runs scored. Seniors Sam Crail and Jackson Blevins who will be returning next season each had three hits on the day. Crail was 3-for-7 with two doubles, four RBI, a pair of walks and four runs scored. Blevins was 3-for-8 with a double and a run scored.
 
Redshirt sophomore Jared Beck took the mound in game one and went 1.2 innings with four strikeouts and three walks. He allowed four hits and four runs before being credited with the loss, his third of the season. Seniors Peel, Sargent and Antonopoulos combined for the final 7.1 innings. Peel came in and went 3.1 innings including sitting down the first nine batters he faced. He struck out one without allowing a walk. He scattered four hits while seeing five runs including three earned cross the plate. Sargent went the next 3.0 innings with two Ks and three walks. He allowed four hits and three runs before giving way to Antonopoulos who pitched the final inning with a strikeout and a walk. Antonopoulos gave up a pair of hits while allowing just one run.
 
The Lions opened the scoring in game one getting a pair of runs in the very first inning before the Sharks scored five-straight including four in the second. The Green and Gold tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 5-4 but a five-run sixth by the Sharks put a stop to the momentum. Another two run inning by the Lions in the seventh and a single run in the ninth was matched by the Sharks who scored three in the top of the ninth for the 13-7 victory.
 
The Lions were firing on all cylinders in game two as all but one spot in the lineup produced a hit. After scoreless first and second innings, the Lions opened up with two runs in the third as Crail drove in a pair on a double to left center. The Lions kept things rolling in the fourth as they pounded out five hits to plate three runs. The Sharks responded with two runs in the fifth but a five-run sixth made it nearly impossible for the Sharks to make a comeback with just one inning to play. The Lions had another five hits in the sixth inning and took advantage of a NSU error to plate their five runs. A single run in the seventh was all the Sharks could muster as Burnette closed the door on the complete game victory.   
 
The Lions will close out the regular season next Saturday, May 8 at Barry as they complete the SSC series which began back on March 4. Saint Leo will play a doubleheader with the Buccaneers. Barry took the opening game of the series 12-3 back in March at Saint Leo.  
 
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.