Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Embarking on its final few games together as a collective unit, the Eckerd College baseball program banded together and brought down Palm Beach Atlantic University on Friday night, 5-1.
The Tritons (17-28 overall) scored in three consecutive innings and peppered the Sailfish (20-22 overall) pitching staff for 13 hits, including nine through the first four innings against opposing starter Logan Thomas.
The Tritons and Sailfish resumed their previously scheduled three-game non-conference series after the unfortunate passing of former PBA Head Coach and MLB Hall of Fame inductee Gary Carter earlier this season.
With just two games remaining to play in their respective careers, the Eckerd senior class will look to make it an end to remember with a doubleheader tomorrow against the same PBA squad beginning at 1 p.m.
Senior Day ceremonies will take place prior to game one at the Turley Athletic Complex.
EC senior starting pitcher
Joey Cuda was dominance personified in his final collegiate start, allowing just one run on seven hits in an eight-inning gem. He picked up his sixth win of the year and made his stirring exit to a standing ovation and thunderous applause from the fans in attendance.
Cuda struck out nine hitters and closed his career with 114 strikeouts, representing the second-highest single-season total in EC history behind Jim Mecir's 118.
Five different players recorded multi-hit games and senior
Robbie Nabers struck out the side unconventionally to record the final three outs of the game.
After Palm Beach Atlantic put the first run in the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, the Tritons answered on a two-out equalizer hit up the middle by senior catcher
Aaron Shapiro.
With the game knotted at 1-1, EC opened up the third frame with three straight hits from the top of the order, including a go-ahead run-scoring double from senior
David Regidor that shot through the right-center gap.
His 10th two-bagger of the season scored
Alex Del Monte, who lined a single to left to get the inning going. Still in the third, senior
Bryant Gibson went opposite field through the infield for an RBI and senior
Kevin Rea drove a pitch near the warning track to complete the three-run inning.
Regidor added his second RBI hit of the night in his next plate appearance in the fourth inning, after senior
Dan Capra began the stanza with a sharp single.
Even though lefty Alejandro De Moya hurled four scoreless innings in relief of Thomas, Cuda preserved the Tritons' and kept a potent offense (six hitters came in hitting .300 or higher) in check.
