Box Score

Saint Leo, Fla. - Saint Leo University exploded for 15 runs in the bottom of the eight to put the game out of reach as it handed the American International College baseball team a 29-8 season-opening loss Saturday afternoon. The Lions improved to 7-11.

Saint Leo plated seven runs in the second to jump out to an early lead, with the big hit of the inning being a bases-clearing double from junior shortstop Ryan Powers (Beacon, N.Y.), who was thrown out as he tried to stretch his hit to a triple.

That lead was extended to 9-0 on a two-run homer to right off the bat of senior left fielder Eugene Garnett (Tampa, Fla.) in the fifth before senior left fielder #Dan Bassani# (Naples, Fla.) got the Yellow Jackets on the board with a solo shot to right in the top of the sixth.

The Lions answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth before AIC strung together three straight doubles to score two runs in the top of the seventh. Sophomore first baseman #Julian Concepcion# (Woodstock Valley, Conn.) led off the inning and scored on sophomore right fielder #Darien Brown#'s (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) double down the left field line. Brown then scored on junior third baseman #Dan Mooney#'s (Bennington, Vt.) double down the right field line.

Powers drove in junior center fielder Ware Hart (Atlanta, Ga.) with a double to right-center in the Lions' half of the seventh to make it 14-3 before the Yellow Jackets put a five-spot on the board in the top of the eight to make it a 14-8 contest.

Junior second baseman #Paul Maza# (Valencia, Venezuela) led the inning off with a solo homer to left and Bassani scored Concepcion's double down the left field line. Mooney then doubled to right-center with the bases loaded, scoring junior designated hitter #Kyle McNiff# (Westford, Mass.) from third and Concepcion from second. Brown also scored on the play after a throwing error by Hart.

The bottom of the eight got away from AIC quickly as Saint Leo quickly loaded the bases and kept them full on a serried of hits, walks and hit batters. The Lions pushed 15 runs across that inning to end any hopes of a Yellow Jacket rally in the ninth.

Junior Matt Smith (Land O' Lakes, Fla.) earned the win in the mound after allowing three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in seven innings of work. Sophomore #John Hanna# (Dudley, Mass.) was tagged with the loss after allowing nine runs, all earned, in five innings with three strikeouts.

Mooney finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs, while Concepcion was 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Bassani went 2-for-4 with a two runs scored and an RBI and Maza was 2-for-5 with one run scored and one driven in.

Powers led the Saint Leo offense, going 5-for-7 with nine RBIs and three runs scored. Three others drove in three runs as eight players in all had multi-RBI efforts.

AIC will next take on Stonehill College Sunday at Rollins College at 11 a.m.