SAINT LEO, Fla. - - Four Saint Leo pitchers held the Wilmington University baseball team to four hits on Tuesday night, winning the nonconference game, 8-2, after adding three insurance runs in the eighth inning Thomas B. Southard Stadium.
A three-run third inning put the Lions (7-9) in front, 4-0, but then another three-run eighth inning pushed the lead out to 8-2. The Wildcats (3-3) had four hits from different batters, with Erik Grady collecting both RBI in the game.
The Wildcats had a chance to score in the top of the first, but after stealing second and third, Mikey Rodriguez was thrown out at the plate on a double steal attempt. Saint Leo scored in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly, but then broke it open in the bottom of the fourth.
Four consecutive singles plated a run and then a two-out, two-run single tacked on two more to make it 4-0.
Alex Krick started the top of the fifth with a single and Matt Warrington put runners on first and third with an infield single. Erik Grady then put Wilmington on the board with an RBI groundout, but that is all the Wildcats could get in the inning.
Shawn Haut reached on an error and Alex Krick was hit by a pitch to start the top of the seventh innings. Matt Warrington moved the runners into scoring position with a bunt and then Erik Grady squeezed in a run to make it 4-2.
The Lions got that run back in the bottom of the seventh inning as a leadoff hit-by-pitch came around to score on a wild pitch. The Lions added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth on only one hit, scoring on a double steal, a single, and a fielding error to expand their lead, 8-2.
Zach Czarnecki went the first three innings and only allowed a run on two hits. Anthony Giordano gave up three runs on six hits in two innings and the Tyler Reinert went two innings while striking out two with allowing a run on four hits. Steve Mann pitched a third of the eighth allowing three runs (two earned) before Tyler Brown collected the final two outs of the eighth.
Mike Rodriguez, JJ Killen, Alex Krick, and Matt Warrington all collected hits while Rodriguez and Killen also walked.
The Wildcats are back in action on Wednesday afternoon, playing a doubleheader against Sioux Falls in part of the Russ Matt Central Florida Invitational at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale, Florida. First pitch is at 3:00 p.m.