Saint Leo, Fla. (March 1) -- Led by Nick Barese's (Braintree, Mass.) 6.1 innings only allowing one run, the baseball team opened its season with a 8-7 victory over Saint Leo. The Lions responded in the second game though, and came away with a 13-0 victory in game two of the doubleheader, a seven-inning contest. The Hawks are now 1-1, while Saint Leo's record stands at 11-6.

GAME ONE
After a scoreless first inning, the Hawks put four runs on the board in the second inning to take a convincing 4-0 lead. Ryan Gargan (Byfield, Mass.) opened up the inning with a lead-off single and a stolen base, moving him into scoring position with no outs. Ryan O'Rourke (Norwood, Mass.) singled, moving Gargan up to third. Melvin Perdue (Jonesboro, Ga.) picked up the Hawks' third straight hit and scored Gargan for Perdue's first RBI of the season. Alex Aguilar (Newbury, Mass.) continued the trend with a single of his own, scoring Ryan O'Rourke for Aguilar's first RBI of the season. After an Eric Baca (Franklin, N.H.) single loaded the bases, Nick Moreau (Manchester, N.H.) reached on a fielding error and Perdue scored. Evan Kelleher (Haverhill, Mass.) picked up an infield single and the RBI as Aguilar scored on the play.

The Hawks picked up another run in the third inning playing small ball. Ryan O'Rourke singled to open the inning and moved to second on a past ball. Perdue grounded out, but moved Ryan O'Rourke up to third on the play. Aguilar flew out to center for the sacrifice fly as Ryan O'Rourke scored on the play.

Barese continued to hold the Lions in check until the fourth inning. After picking up two quick outs, Jonathan Duncan (Starke, Fla.) doubled and Braulio Pardo (Land O'Lakes, Fla.) singled to score Duncan. Barese came out of the game in the bottom of the seventh with one out, finishing the game only allowing three hits and one run with three strikeouts.

The Hawks struck for three more runs in the top of the eighth to take an 8-1 lead. Gargan hit his first homerun of the season to right field for his only RBI of the game. The Hawks loaded the bases on three straight walks with no outs, as Ryan O'Rourke, Perdue, and Alex Marlow (Weston, Mass.) walked in succession. Baca singled, scoring Ryan O'Rourke. Moreau picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly, scoring Perdue. The Lions came charging back with six runs over the eighth and ninth innings, but the Hawks held on for the 8-7 victory.

Barese picks up his first win of the season, while Ryan Clark (Tampa, Fla.) got pegged with the loss for Saint Leo, dropping his record to 1-4 on the hill. Clark went six innings, allowing eight hits, five runs, and striking out seven. David Giarusso (Cranston, R.I.) picked up the save, working the ninth inning, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk.

GAME TWO
Saint Leo wasted no time in getting on the board, as the Lions posted five runs in the bottom of the first inning. After J.C. Suarez (Tampa, Fla.) and Bobby Munoz (Tampa, Fla.) reached base safely with no outs, T.J. Alonzo (Tampa, Fla.) cleared the bases with a three-run homerun to take a 3-0 lead. Then after Duncan reached base on an error, Dale Slimick (Sarasota, Fla.) hit the Lions' second homerun of the inning to take a 5-0 lead.

The Lions struck for two more runs in the second, as Yunior Tabares (Tampa, Fla.) singled home Suarez to take a 6-0 lead. Duncan reached base on a fielder's choice, but Alonzo scored on the play, giving the Lions a comfortable 7-0 lead through two innings.

After a scoreless third inning, the Lions picked up five more runs in the fourth. Duncan homered after Alonzo and Tabares reached base for the Lions' second three-run jack of the game and a 10-0 lead. Jason Hamm (Tampa, Fla.) doubled down the left field line later in the inning to score Anthony Santa (Land O'Lakes, Fla.), while Suarez picked up his only RBI of the game on a ground-out back to Mike O'Rouke (East Falmouth, Mass.), scoring Eddie San Roman (Miami, Fla.) and giving Saint Leo a 12-0 lead.

The Lions added another run in the bottom of the fifth, as Slimick grounded out back to O'Rourke, scoring Alonzo on the play.

Matt Stone (West Roxbury, Mass.), Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.), James Garrigan (Plymouth, Mass.), Steven Panza (Watertown, Mass.), and Marlow all had a hit each in the game for the Hawks. Eric Simm (Salem, N.H.) worked a scoreless seventh inning for the Hawks, putting the Lions down in order with two ground outs and a fly out to Melvin Perdue (Jonesboro, Ga.).

Rodney Miller (Binghamton, N.Y.) threw six innings of five-hit ball for the Lions, striking out seven en route to his second win of the season on the mound. Devon Cason (Tampa, Fla.) threw a scoreless seventh for Saint Leo, striking out one, walking one, and allowing one hit.

The Hawks continue their Southeast swing, traveling to St. Petersburg, Fla. to take on Eckerd on Sunday, March 2nd at 1 p.m.