Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Meeting for the second time this season, the Eckerd College baseball program was defeated to begin the Sunshine State Conference series opener against Saint Leo University on Friday night, 11-3.
Junior first baseman
Chris Hanson hit a towering shot to deep right field in the middle innings for a solo home run, his team-best fifth of the spring.
The Tritons (14-22, 2-14 SSC) and Lions (26-12, 6-7 SSC) met earlier this spring on Feb. 12 in a non-conference matchup in Saint Leo.
Saint Leo starting pitcher Brent Krauss fanned eight hitters in 3 1/3 innings before leaving with an apparent arm injury. He was picked up in relief by Michael Dunnigan, who allowed just one hit in 3 2/3 innings pitched.
Dunnigan received the winning decision while EC's
Richard Cruz-Sanchez struck out five in a quality 5 2/3 inning start. Cruz-Sanchez scattered eight hits and was tagged for four runs, although only two were earned.
Eckerd scored runs in the bottom of the second and fourth innings to cut Saint Leo's lead down to 3-2.
Junior
Tyler Abadal sliced a single through the right side of the infield to drive in junior
Shane Bishop for EC's first run on the board before Hanson left the park against Dunnigan to lead off the fourth.
But Saint Leo's Michael Revell delivered a two-run single as part of his 4-for-5 evening in a five-run sixth inning. Taed Moses followed suit with a two RBI single of his own and EC experienced a scary moment as junior outfielder
Mike Vavasis was struck in the head while pursuing a sinking fly ball.
Vavasis singled and walked in limited action after walking off the field with assistance.
His replacement in the lineup, freshman
Jake O'Rourke, lined an RBI single in the seventh inning for the Tritons' final run of the night that plated senior
Lee Spinelle.
The Tritons and Lions will meet again at the Turley Athletic Complex tomorrow for a doubleheader. Instead of starting at the originally-scheduled time of 1 p.m., the two teams will now begin game one at noon.
