FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Saint Leo baseball team battled on the road Saturday afternoon, but came up short in both ends of a Sunshine State Conference (SSC) doubleheader against Nova Southeastern, falling 10-6 in game one and 9-1 in game two.

Game One: Nova Southeastern 10, Saint Leo 6
Saint Leo rallied for five runs in the seventh inning, but an early offensive outburst by the Sharks proved too much to overcome.

The Sharks built a 10-1 lead through five innings, collecting 14 hits and drew seven walks. A three-run home run by junior shortstop Ryan Crivello in the top of the seventh was the key to the Lions' late surge. Crivello finished 2-for-5 with three RBI, while Thomas DeBrower added a hit and scored twice.

On the mound, starter Kaelan Racculia allowed four runs on six hits in 2.2 innings. Saint Leo's bullpen pieced together 5.1 innings, led by a scoreless three-inning stint from Grant Carlton, who also struck out three.

Game Two: Nova Southeastern 9, Saint Leo 1
The Sharks struck early with runs in the first and third, then broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning. Saint Leo's lone run came in the top of the seventh when DeBrower reached on an infield single, advanced on an error, and later scored on a groundout by Crivello. DeBrower led the Lions with two hits in the game.

Junior left-hander Tyler Mecchella (2-3) started for the Lions and surrendered six runs on seven hits over five innings.

Saint Leo returns to action on Tuesday, April 15 as it hosts Eckerd in a non-conference bout, starting at 6 p.m.