SAINT LEO, Fla. – The seventh-ranked Saint Leo baseball team split its Sunshine State Conference (SSC) doubleheader versus Embry-Riddle on Saturday evening. The Lions won game one by a 10-6 margin before dropping the second game by a score of 15-7.

With the split, the Lions moved to 23-4 overall with an 8-3 mark in conference play.

GAME TWO: #7 Saint Leo 7, Embry-Riddle 15
The Eagles took an early lead after a solo homerun in the first inning before the Lions answered in the bottom half of the first as senior Mikey Scott drove in sophomore Dylan Mass with an RBI-groundout followed by graduate student Yazael Nunez notched and RBI-single to left field to give Saint Leo a 3-1 edge.

At the end of the fourth, Embri-Riddle held a 6-2 advantage. The Green and Gold trimmed it deficit to 6-3 after Scott blasted a solo homer to left center, however, the Eagles went on to score in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to gain an 11-3 cushion. The Lions rattle off three runs in the bottom of the eighth as Nunez scored on a fielding error followed by senior Caleb Adams blasted an RBI-single to right field while Benson crossed home plate on a groundout, 11-6. The Eagles added four more runs to its score in the top of the ninth while graduate student Giuseppe Arcuri posted an RBI-double for the Lions in the bottom of the ninth, 15-7.

Mass went 3-for-4 with a run scored while junior Nick Yedman notched two hits in three plate appearances. Scott tallied a hit and two RBI while Nunez and Arcuri posted one hit and one RBI each. On the mound, senior Aedan Walter started for the Lions as he struck out two batters and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits in 3.1 innings.

GAME ONE: #7 Saint Leo 10, Embry-Riddle 6
During the second inning, the Lions rolled to a 6-0 lead, highlighted by a two-run homer from junior Callen Moss while Benson recorded an RBI-triple followed by an RBI-single from Miles in addition to a double by graduate student Buck Anderson that plate a pair of runs. In the fourth, Saint Leo continued to momentum as Scott registered an RBI with a single to center field before Nunez launched an RBI-double to right center followed by Benson scoring Nunez with a single with the right side, 9-0.

The Eagles trimmed their deficit to 9-6 in the seventh, however, Anderson gave the Green and Gold a 10-6 advantage with a double to the left side in the bottom of the seventh and the Lions defense held Embry-Riddle at bay to secure the victory.

Anderson finished the game with three hits and three RBI. Moss tallied three hits as he totaled a home run, single and double with a pair of RBI. Benson posted two hits and two RBI while Miles earned two hits and one RBI. Scott and Nunez registered a hit and RBI each.

On the bump, senior Luke Lashutka started for Saint Leo and totaled a career-best nine strikeouts as he limited the Eagles to just two hits and held them scoreless in 5.0 innings. In relief, senior Drew Rudsinski tallied a strikeout in 2.0 innings.

Saint Leo returns to action tomorrow, Sunday, March 24 as it hosts Embry-Riddle to conclude the three-game weekend series with one game starting at 1 p.m.