Box Score
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Leadoff hitter David Edwards was a perfect 5-for-5 setting the table for a 15-hit attack as Clearwater Christian College handed the Eckerd College baseball program a tough defeat at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night, 9-5.
The Tritons (14-20 overall) had toppled the Cougars (9-28 overall) earlier on the season with a lopsided 20-4 victory on Feb. 5, but Clearwater Christian turned the tables on its home field, a historic venue that used to be the Philadelphia Phillies' home for spring training.
CCC's Noel Thomas was 3-for-3 with 4 RBI, including a three-run double, Joel Felten was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Wade Irwin preserved the late lead with a rare three-inning save out of the pen.
EC's
James Petika doubled twice and had a handful of defensive gems behind the dish. Senior
Lee Spinelle also doubled and junior
Chris Hanson had a pinch-hit double to lead the Eckerd offense.
The Tritons used four pitchers on the night, but the Cougars took advantage of five combined walks and five wild pitches.
Edwards also scored twice and singled to lead off the first, third, fifth and seventh innings, to give the Cougars a valued baserunner.
Thomas cleared the bases with his two-out double in the bottom of third inning, giving Clearwater Christian a 4-1 lead.
But the Tritons clawed back into contention and tied the game back up in the fourth, capped by a sacrifice fly by
Audry Santana. Junior
Mike Vavasis, sporting a 7-for-14 line at the plate in the past four games, roped an RBI single and Petika plated another run with a double.
The go-ahead run crossed the plate for CCC on a wild pitch in the sixth while Jon Rivera prolonged the inning with a two-out RBI single for a 6-4 cushion.
The Tritons would strike once more in the seventh following a sacrifice fly by freshman
Adam Moreau to close the gap to a 6-5 deficit, but the Cougars roared for a three-run seventh with four more hits in the inning.
CCC rode the arm of Irwin after its bullpen experienced control problems of their own, including two straight walks issued by Taylor Hill in middle relief. Irwin allowed just two hits in the final three scoreless innings and fanned four.
EC sophomore starter
David Horsfield logged five innings and was pulled after a pair of wild pitches following a leadoff bunt single to begin the sixth frame. He struck out five and walked just one while scattering nine hits.
CCC starter Kyle Beitz sat down the first six hitters he faced on the evening, but was relieved to begin the top half of the fifth.
The Tritons will return to the Turley Athletic Complex tomorrow night against Webber International University for a scheduled first pitch at 6 p.m. in St. Petersburg. EC and WIU have played twice this season, splitting the regular-season matchups to date.
