SAINT LEO, Fla. – Despite coming back from a 7-1 deficit, the No. 2 seed Saint Leo baseball team lost 8-7 in extra innings in the opening game of NCAA Division II South Region 2 play on Thursday afternoon to No. 7 seed West Florida.

Back-to-back home runs from junior Callan Moss and senior Josh Davis, woke up the bats for the Lions in the sixth inning. Senior Caleb Adams blasted a two-run jack to left field that cut the Argonauts lead to 7-5 in the seventh. Senior Mikey Scott plated Moss on a single to right center before Scott later scored to tie the game on a wild pitch, 7-7. With graduate student Zach Benson in scoring position following the wild pitch, Saint Leo threatened to claim its first lead of the game, however, West Florida registered a pair of strikeouts to stop the Lions' rally.

In a game that saw seven home runs, the Argonauts struck with a solo jack in the 11th inning to give them an 8-7 advantage. Graduate student Yazael Nunez tallied a single up the middle with one out, however, a double play ended the game for the Lions.

Scott went 3-for-5 at the dish with one RBI and one run scored while Mass recorded two hits and an RBI. Adams posted two hits which included his two-run homer in addition to crossing home plate twice with two RBI. Moss went 1-for-4 with an RBI, one walk, and one run scored. Davis, Benson, Nunez, and senior Cooper Miles each posted one hit at the plate today. On the mound, senior Luke Lashutka tallied four strikeouts and allowed seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits in 6.0 innings. In relief, freshman Russell Sandefer struck out four batters and surrendered one run on three hits in 5.0 innings.

The Lions will return to the diamond tomorrow, Friday, May 17 as they face No. 6 seed Delta State in an elimination game at 2 p.m.