WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Palm Beach Atlantic baseball team started their third series of the season tonight against the Saint Leo Lions in search of their first victory of the season. The Sailfish took a lead late after a back in forth affair, but they were unable to close it out late falling 7-6.

The Sailfish turned to their number one pitcher in Christian Denton in search of the series-opening win, but once again Sailfish starting pitching failed to have a clean first innings. The Lions put together two singles, a stolen base, and a sacrifice fly to scratch across one run in the opening frame. After the first inning, the Sailfish ace settled in, retiring eight straight as he rolled through the second, third, and fourth innings. 

The Sailfish offense threatened early and often as they left the bases loaded in the first and the second inning as they ran Saint Leo starter Joey Antonopoulos after 1.1 innings pitched. They loaded the bases again with one out in the third but were able to break through off Lions reliever Jared Beck as Sebastian Salado drew a walk to even the score. The Sailfish took the lead the very next inning as Brandon Seltzer ripped a ball off over the scoreboard in left-center field. 

Unfortunately, the Lions struck back in their very next at-bat in the top of the 5th as Denton walked the leadoff batter, and then a PBA defensive error started the Saint Leo rally. A two-out double followed by a single plated three Lions runs as they reclaimed the lead 4-2. In the bottom of the inning, the Sailfish strung together four singles in the inning as Landen Morrison knocked in Robert Fabelo and Ramon Machado plated Jake Roper to tie the game at 4-4. Denton's day was done after he surrendered one more run before he got out of the six innings. His final line read 6.0 innings pitched, scattering eight hits, and giving up five runs, three earned.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Sailfish recaptured the lead by using the long-ball again. Carlos Lara led off with a single and was immediately brought home as Morrison ripped a ball down the left-field line. With a 6-5 lead, the Sailfish turned to Drew Holweger who pitched his way through the seventh and eighth innings.

Going to the final inning, Holweger committed the cardinal sin of walking the leadoff batter after a long at-bat. He bounced back by making a nice defensive play and getting the lead runner on a bunt attempt. With runners on first and second and two outs, the Sailfish turned to Mitchell Price to close the game out. He went on to walk the first batter he faced before giving up a single that scored two Lions baserunners as they took a 7-6 lead. 

PBA's ninth-inning rally got off to a solid start as Carlos Lara reached after being hit by a pitch. The Sailfish elected to bunt Lara into scoring position, but Lara was thrown out making an aggressive play trying to take third base as the pitcher McCabe Sargent appeared like he might be late to get over to cover the bag.

Fabelo and Roper were both 3-for-4 from the plate for the Sailfish as they finished the game with six runs on 13 hits. They were made to pay for not taking advantage of early scoring opportunities as they left 14 runners on base. Holweger took the tough-luck loss, while Devin Blair earned the win and Sargent earned the save.

The Sailfish will look to bounce back against the Lions as they will head to Saint Leo on March 20 for a double-header.