SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo rapped out 18 hits, six of them home runs, as the Lions ran away from West Alabama, 11-4, in the season opener for both teams Friday at Southard Stadium.
 
Every player in the Saint Leo starting lineup had at least one hit, with Michael Mann leading the Lion effort with three hits and a run batted in. Zach Scott hit a pair of home runs for the Lions, while Chase Turner, Dylan Harris, Shane Williams, Nick Boland and Derek Gibree had two hits each. Harris, Boland and Coffel also homered.
 
"We just gave up too many long ones tonight," UWA coach Gary Rundles said. "There were some first-game jitters, but we kept fighting and didn't stop playing. We will find out what kind of baseball team we are in tomorrow's game."
 
The Lions and Tigers play game two of the series Saturday at 2 p.m. CST. Right-hander Braxton Wallace is expected to take the mound for West Alabama.
 
After West Alabama wasted three hits and a Saint Leo error in the top of the first inning, the Lions took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning on a one-out solo home run off the bat of Harris.
 
The Tigers evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the second inning. Luke Phillips doubled to open the inning, followed by a Brock Montgomery walk. Tyler Lee's sacrifice bunt moved both runners and a sacrifice fly from Joel Murphy plated Phillips.
 
Coffel added another solo homer for the Lions in the bottom of the second inning to give Saint Leo a 2-1 lead after two complete.
 
Alex Mata gave Saint Leo a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning, driving in Gibree with a single. Gibree had singled and stole second.
 
The Lions chased West Alabama starter Evan Miller with three home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Boland had a two-run blast, while Scott and Gibree contributed solo shots to stretch the Saint Leo lead to 7-2 after four innings.
 
Saint Leo added on in the bottom of the fifth when Williams singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Mann then doubled down the left field line to score Williams. Coffel's sacrifice fly chased Mann. Scott then ripped his second homer of the game to increase the SLU lead to 11-2 after five innings.
 
West Alabama used doubles by Marcus Morrisette and Montgomery, a single by Phillips and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Lee to plate a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, cutting he Saint Leo lead to 11-4. Montgomery also homered for the Tigers, a solo effort in the fourth inning.
 
Saint Leo starter Oscar Gordillo (1-0) earned the pitching win, allowing 10 hits and four earned runs while striking out two and walking two over seven innings. West Alabama starter Evan Miller (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits, five of those home runs, over 3.1 innings.
 
Blake Bodin worked two innings of relief for the Lions, allowing a run on three hits and striking out two. Jonathan Porter was touched for four runs in an inning of work in relief of Miller. Jay Booth, Leighton Lary and JC Redden did not give up a run in 3.2 combined innings of relief for UWA.
 
Nick Delgado had three of West Alabama's 13 hits. Morrisette, Montgomery and Phillips chipped in two hits apiece. Delgado, Morrisette, Montgomery and Phillips all doubled.