Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. –
Alex Menendez and
Richard Cruz-Sanchez each worked three scoreless innings in a relief role but some spotty fielding that featured five errors proved costly for the Eckerd College baseball program in a Tuesday-night clash against Clearwater Christian College, 3-1.
Starter
Joe McLemore began the game with a scoreless first inning and
Robbie Nabers was the unfortunate beneficiary of two unearned runs in sixth frame. Lee Spinelle had a pair of hits to pace the EC offense, which grounded into three untimely double plays.
The last time the Cougars (7-21 overall) and Tritons (12-11, 1-5 SSC) met on Feb. 16, it was a memorable gathering as Eckerd Head Coach
Bill Mathews managed his way to win No. 450 in his career.
This time around though, the Tritons would like to put Tuesday's narrow defeat in the rearview mirror as the Cougars ended up turning the tables.
CCC southpaw Henry Turner used a heavy dose of looping curveballs as he went the distance to collect the win. Despite walking seven, Turner managed to work himself out of trouble and scattered six hits for his first win of the spring.
A six-inning scoreless streak assembled by righty
Joe Clagg to begin the season came to an end as the Cougars scored just one earned against the EC pitching staff. He allowed the first run in the fifth inning as CCC snapped the scoreless tie with a delayed steal.
After Ethan Barba crushed a double to the left-center gap, he came home to score as leadoff hitter David Edwards was set in motion to steal second.
Clearwater Christian stretched its lead to 3-0 in its next turn of plate appearances as an errant pickoff throw and a low throw at second base that would have ended the inning prolonged the Cougars' offensive output.
Keegan Oberer plated the Tritons' lone run with a pinch-hit, two-run single to center field in the sixth inning that scored Spinelle.
The Tritons continue play in the Sunshine State Conference schedule this weekend for a three-game series at Nova Southeastern University on the road.
