TAMPA, Fla. – The third-ranked Saint Leo baseball team lost 12-2 versus top-ranked Tampa in the series opener on Friday night in Sunshine State Conference (SSC) action.

The Spartans jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first before graduate student Zach Benson cut the Lions deficit to 3-1 with a sacrifice-fly that plated senior Josh Davis in the second inning. From the third inning to the fifth, both defenses held the offenses in check until sophomore Dylan Mass blasted an RBI-double as graduate student Yazael Nunez scored to make the score 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Tampa tallied four runs to gain a 7-2 lead followed by a three-run inning in the sixth as the Spartans led by a 10-2 margin. In the seventh, Tampa plated a pair of runs to lead 12-2.

Mass finished the game 1-for-4 with an RBI while Davis, Nunez, and sophomore Ryan Crivello each notched a hit on Friday. On the mound, senior Luke Lashutka started for the Lions and struck out a pair of batters as he allowed seven runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings.

Saint Leo returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, May 4 as it concludes its series against the Spartans with a doubleheader, starting at 3 p.m.