FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Saint Leo Edges Mounties 10-8 in Battle Under the Lights
 
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Mountaineers rallied for four runs to tie the game at 8-8, but Saint Leo scored a pair in the top of the ninth to edge Mansfield 10-8 Monday night at Jack Russell Stadium.
 
Zephan Kash went 3-4 at the plate with a run and an RBI to lead Mansfield offensively.
 
Troy Sieber was deadly at the plate for Saint Leo (11-7) going 3-3, all doubles, with four RBIs, three runs and three walks.
 
Mansfield starting pitcher Chase Pepper pitched two hitless innings before allowing three runs, two of them unearned, on four hits in the third as the Lions took an early lead.
 
Taylor Hillson and Kash drew walks and Matt Kurelja wore a pitch to load the bases with one out. Ryan Paige drove in two runs with a single before Kurelja scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3. Tanner Klein's RBI single in the next at bat scored Paige and put the Mounties on top.
 
Saint Leo pushed across two runs on four hits in the top of the fourth to regain the lead at 5-4. Jeremy Worlinsky came into pitch in relief and worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam to keep Mansfield (6-3) within a run.
 
The Lions jumped out to an 8-4 lead with three runs on two hits and two errors in the eighth.
 
Back-to-back singles by Paige and Klein and a hit-by-pitch for Zach Merkle juiced the bases. Dalton Lewis grounded out to second, but drove in a run before Hillson was hit with a pitch to re-load the bases. That set-up Scott Rockwell who drove in two runs and Kash who scored another to tie the game 8-8.
 
Sieber came through once again in the top of the ninth, lacing a two-RBI double in the gap to left giving Saint Leo a 10-8 advantage.
 
Mansfield was unable to rally again in the bottom of the inning.
 
Pepper scattered eight hits and allowed three earned runs while striking out eight batters in 4.1 innings worked. Mat Zielen took the loss in relief. Evan McAndrew was perfect through the final two outs.
 
Jordan Pendleton earned the win for the Lions pitching the final 1.1 innings.
 
Mansfield returns to action tomorrow morning with a single game against Missouri – St. Louis at 11 a.m.