SAINT LEO, Fla. – Redshirt senior Jimmy Burnette pitched his second-straight complete game victory for the Saint Leo baseball team Saturday afternoon as the Lions earned a split in their regular season finale at Barry. Burnette went the distance in game two, the full 7.0 innings, as he struck out eight and walked just one while allowing just four hits, two runs including just one earned in the 3-2 victory. The Buccaneers took the opener 8-1.
 
Redshirt junior Paul Coumoulos continued his late season tear as he went 4-for-5 at the plate over the two contests with a double and three RBI. He went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish in the victory with two RBI and a walk. He closes out the regular season with an impressive .439 batting average with leads the Sunshine State Conference. He is the lone batter with an above .400 average and leads the field by 46 points.
 
Redshirt junior Cooper Trinkle went 3-for-6 over the doubleheader including 2-for-3 in the victory. He picked up a double and a walk while also stealing a base. Redshirt senior Jake Vander Wal was 3-for-7 with two runs scored and a walk. He went 2-for-4 in the win while scoring his two runs. Redshirt senior Danny Torres did not pick up a hit in the loss but went 2-for-4 in the win with a run scored.
 
The split closes out the Lions season at 9-17 overall and 8-16 in Sunshine State Conference action. The Buccaneers improved to 14-11 and 12-8 in league play.
 
Barry took the early lead in game one scoring a pair of runs in the opening frame. They added a third run in the third and then the Lions scored their lone run of the contest on a sacrifice fly from Coumoulos in the sixth while scored senior Sam Crail. The Bucs quickly responded with five runs in the bottom of the sixth including taking advantage of a pair of Saint Leo errors. That would be all the scoring for the game as the Lions had just four hits in the contest and fell 8-1.
 
Redshirt sophomore Jared Beck suffered the loss despite pitching just 2.1 innings while striking out three and walking four. He gave up three hits and saw three runs cross the plate including one earned.  He ends the season with a 2-4 record. Three other pitchers saw action in the loss. Both Jeremy Peel and Joey Antonopoulos pitched their final game in the Green and Gold. Peel went 1.1 innings with a strikeout and three hits allowed. He did not surrender a run. Antonopoulos went 1.0 three-up-three-down inning.
 
In game two it was the Lions who struck first as Torres picked up a one-out single in the first inning. Vander Wal followed with a single through the right side to push Torres to second. Coumoulos then cleaned up the bases a bit with an RBI single up the middle to score Torres and move Vander Wal to second. Redshirt junior Adrien Roa then drove home Vander Wal with a single to right field. The Bucs managed to get out of the inning with a groundout and a strikeout.
 
After a scorless second and third the Buccaneers struck for the first of their two runs. A single followed by a throwing error on a pick off attempt moved the runner to third. A groundout scored the runner to cut the lead to one. Back-to-back groundouts ended the inning.
 
The Lions responded for their pitcher in the fifth as they answered the Barry run with a run of their own. Vander Wal opened the offense with a one-out single up the middle and Coumoulos followed with an RBI double to left field. Back-to-back groundouts ended the inning for the Lions.
 
Saint Leo threatened in the sixth with an inning-opening double by Owen Jansen who was thrown out a home on a hit to right field. The Bucs went down in order in the sixth and the Lions had Coumoulos reach on a walk in the seventh but that was it.
 
The Bucs opened the seventh with back-to-back singles to make it first and second with no outs. A pinch hitter is brought in who doubles to left field scoring a run and leaving it second and third with no outs down 3-2. After a strikeout, the Lions walked the next batter to load the bases. Burnette then picked up back-to-back strikeouts to close out the complete game victory. The win moves his season total to 3-5.
 
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.