VALDOSTA, Ga. - Saint Leo Baseball took a trip up north to Valdosta State on Wednesday night for a matchup with the Blazers from Valdosta State. The Lions came out on the wrong end with a 9-8 decision, but still saw a lot of production on offense from their lineup. 

The Lions struck first in the top of the first from a RBI groundout from Sam Crail that scored Buck Anderson, but the Blazers followed that up with a two-run bottom of the first inning that included a RBI triple and double and a two-run second inning that gave Valdosta State a 4-1 lead. 

Saint Leo came back, however, with a big three-run fifth inning. Giuseppe Arcuri got the scoring started with a RBI double to left field that scored Yazael Nunez that cut the lead to two. And then Mike Wyman continued his tear at the plate with a momentum swinging two-run double to left that brought home Crail and Arcuri, tying the ballgame at 4-4. 

The Blazers got that those two runs back in the bottom half of the fifth with a sac fly RBI and RBI single making the score 6-4. But then in the sixth inning Buck Anderson and Bobby Sparling joined in the offense with RBI singles to bring the Lions back to even, 6-6.

It was the eighth inning, though, that came back to haunt the Lions. Valdosta State grabbed a run that could have been prevented, with the Blazers scoring on a wild pitch, a pitch Saint Leo wanted to get back. Even though the Lions were able to re-tie the game in the ninth at 7-7, the Blazers would walk-off in the bottom of the ninth on a RBI triple to left that gave them a 8-7 win in their home opener. 

Buck Anderson finished the night 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Sam Crail went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a RBI. Bobby Sparling was 1-for-4 with two RBI's. And Mike Wyman finished 1-for-2 with two RBI's and three walks. 

The Lions will be back in action on the road for their first SSC series of the year starting on Friday night in Lakeland taking on the Mocs from Florida Southern.