SAINT LEO, Fla. – The bats were flying for the Saint Leo University baseball team, but the Lions managed to score enough runs to hold off late rallies from Kentucky Wesleyan College, defeating the Panthers 19-11 in Game One and 12-8 in Game Two Saturday at Thomas B. Southard Stadium.
 
SLU 19, KWC 11 (7 inn.)
The Lions (10-9, 2-4 SSC) tallied a total of 18 hits as the Panthers (4-11, 0-0 GMAC) registered 12 hits on the day.  Four Lions finished the first game 2-for-3 at the dish, including Senior infielder Buck Anderson who recorded four RBIs.  Junior catcher Eddie Niemann went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
 
Graduate pitcher Dariel Fregio (3-1) pitched five innings, allowing four hits with two earned runs and five strikeouts. 
 
After KWC scored the first run in the first inning, the Green & Gold carved Panthers' pitcher Isaac Rose, posting a seven-run inning with seven hits, highlighted by three 2RBI singles from Anderson, Niemann, and Junior infielder Cooper Miles.
 
The Purple & White switched from Rose to Sam McFarland for the second and third innings, but Saint Leo continued its hitting fiesta, also scoring seven runs to extend its lead 12-3.
 
With the commanding lead, Head Coach Rick O'Dette began to substitute in reserves in the third inning, giving way to outfielders Brennan Reback and Dylan Mass having 2-for-3 performances at the dish.
 
After five innings, the Lions built a lead as large as 15 (18-3) before Kentucky Wesleyan began a late comeback surge.  The Panthers posted three runs in the sixth and added five more in the seventh before Saint Leo closed the deal and earned a 19-11 win.
 
SLU 12, KWC 8
Junior Mikey Scott had a good showing at the dish, hitting 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored.  Despite both players hitting 1-for-4, Mass and Senior Bobby Sparling each produced two RBIs.
 
Junior pitcher Evan Wolf (2-1) threw seven innings and gave up seven hits, three runs and fanned five before Brendan Clark and Drew Rudsinski made appearances on the bump.
 
Saint Leo continued its scoring barrage, with Mass stealing home before Graduate infielder Mike Wyman blasted a shot over the left wall for a two-run home run for a 3-0 lead.
 
After both sides exchanged a run in the second, the contest was scoreless until the Lions had another big inning in the fifth that included six runs.  Scott's RBI triple and Sparling's 2RBI double highlighted the scoring flux.
 
Even with a nine-run deficit, Kentucky Wesleyan battled late in the contest and produced yet another comeback surge, scoring two runs in the seventh, one in the eighth, and four in the ninth.
 
With two outs, bases loaded in the top of the ninth, and a 12-8 lead, Rudsinski recorded the final out needed to hold off any late heroics from the Panthers and secure a 3-0 series lead.
 
The Lions conclude the four-game series with Kentucky Wesleyan Saturday, looking for a series sweep over the Panthers.  First pitch at Thomas B. Southard Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
 
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