Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Senior
Joe McLemore mashed his ninth home run of the year as part of a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, but the Eckerd College baseball program couldn't hold on to an early lead against Clearwater Christian College on Monday night, eventually falling by a 12-7 decision.
Senior outfielder
Dan Capra also enjoyed three hits in five trips to the plate while every Tritons (15-20 overall) starter was able to record one base knock in the 13-hit attack, including 12 off of starter Henry Turner.
Despite the Tritons outhitting Clearwater Christian on the night, 13-12, the Cougars (8-25 overall) erupted for eight runs in a wild top half of the fifth inning to erase what had become a 4-1 deficit.
Eckerd's pitching experienced uncharacteristic control issues as evidenced by seven walks issued and five hit batsmen.
CCC leadoff man David Edwards was a perfect 4-for-4 setting the table for the offense while cleanup hitter Nate Krouse had three more hits, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice.
The tide turned in the fifth after the Cougars loaded the bases out of the gates on a hit batter, bunt single and fielding error on the mound. After Krouse ripped an RBI single to make the score 4-2, the Cougars added another run on an RBI groundout in the next at-bat.
Eddie Fuentes' RBI single tied the game at 4-4 with what turned out to be the final hit of a disastrous inning. Another fielding miscue resulted in the go-ahead run before three straight walks in bases-loaded situations prolonged the inning.
CCC's final damage in the fifth came as Zack Weber recorded an RBI with the bases still jammed as he was beaned.
Facing an 11-4 deficit by the time the bottom of the seventh rolled around, senior outfielder
Bryant Gibson chased the lefty Turner out of the ballgame with a two-run single up the middle that scored McLemore and junior Lee Spinelle.
After reaching on an infield single, senior
Kevin Rea scored on a wild pitch to cap the EC scoring.
McLemore's two-run shot to opposite field right in the third inning scored
Joey LaRose, who got on base with a one-out walk. For McLemore, it represented his third home run in the last seven games. He was coming off a strong week with a pair of 3-for-4 outings against Webber International University and Rollins College.
McLemore now ranks in solo third in the Sunshine State Conference in the power category after coming into the game tied with Nova Southeastern's Daniel Petitbon, who has eight home runs.
The Tritons will be back in action on Friday to begin a three-game conference homestand against Lynn University beginning with a 7 p.m. contest under the lights. Just a reminder that Wednesday's previously scheduled 7 p.m. contest against Webber International University was cancelled as announced yesterday.
