Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Senior workhorse ace
Joey Cuda scattered one hit over six strong innings and fanned nine as the Eckerd College baseball team recorded a season-opening win against Warner University on Wednesday evening, 7-5.
The reigning Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year consistently worked ahead of hitters and issued just one walk while inducing eight groundouts against the Royals (2-2, 0-0 TSC).
Senior reliever
Robbie Nabers closed the door and hurled two no-hit innings for the save.
The Tritons (1-0, 0-0 SSC) scored in four consecutive innings off Warner starter Dalton Kelley and received three hits from senior
Bryant Gibson while three runs were plated in by newcomer third baseman Lee Spinelle.
Kelley was tagged for 10 hits in four innings and allowed six runs, all earned in his collegiate debut.
Eckerd's hit parade was on display with 15 base knocks against Kelley and two other relievers. The Tritons had multi-hit games from
Alex Del Monte,
David Regidor and
Dan Capra.
Eckerd forced the issue on the basepaths and was perfect in four stolen base opportunities.
Del Monte turned in a sterling night at shortstop, assisting the final out in the first three innings and turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the fifth frame.
The Tritons broke through for their first run of the season as Spinelle went opposite field to right for the sacrifice fly to score Capra, who led off the bottom of the third with a single up the middle.
Joe McLemore chased Kelley to begin the fifth with a double to the right-center gap and RBI singles by Gibson and
Kevin Rea (two-out situation) gave the Tritons a 3-0 cushion.
Spinelle laced a run-scoring double down the left-field line, another run came home on a wild pitch from Kelley and Gibson recorded another two-out RBI in a three-run fifth.
With a 7-0 lead intact, the Royals rallied and mustered a five-run seventh inning as reliever
Alex Menendez was greeted rudely with three consecutive hits. But three consecutive errors in the inning on the right side of the infield allowed a pair of unearned runs to cross the plate.
After issuing a leadoff walk to begin the eighth on four straight pitches, Nabers didn't allow a batter to reach base and retired the side in order to end the game.
The Tritons are back at the Turley Athletic Complex on Friday against another NAIA school, this time St. Thomas University. The nine-inning affair at 7 p.m. precedes a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
