Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Senior Mike Vavasis homered and delivered the game-winning hit walk-off style in the bottom of the 11th inning as the Eckerd College baseball outlasted Hillsdale (Mich.) College, 3-2, on Wednesday night at the Turley Athletic Complex.
The win gave Eckerd (12-5, 2-1 SSC) its third straight win and fourth in the last five games while the Chargers (1-8, 0-0 GLIAC) dropped their eighth straight game after playing two back-to-back contests yesterday.
The Chargers added their first run in the first inning as leadoff hitter Luke Ortel drew a walk and scored on a fielder's choice. Hillsdale added its final run of the game in the second inning as Ortel gave the Chargers a two-run lead with an RBI single.
But five different Tritons' pitchers would combine for nine shutout innings as the Tritons made their comeback.
Vavasis put the Tritons on the board in the bottom of the second inning, taking an outside pitch opposite field over the right-field fence for a solo shot, his second home run of the spring.
The Tritons tied the game in the sixth inning as senior Chris Hanson lined a one-out double to right-center and later scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Mike Abraham.
After the fourth inning, the Chargers would not be able to advance a runner past second base as the Tritons' bullpen went to work. Kyle Harding bailed the Tritons out of a bases-loaded one-out situation and blanked the Hillsdale offense for 3.2 innings.
It would not be until the bottom of the 11th inning that the Tritons' threatened to break the 2-2 tie. Hanson started things off for Eckerd by reaching base on a dropped third strike. In the next play, Hanson was forced out at second on a ground ball from Abraham, but a Chargers' error would place Abraham on second base.
Just as he got the Tritons' offense started, Vavasis closed things out, hitting a line drive into left-center to score a new pinch-runner, freshman Lucas Luopa.
Lefty reliever Jack Silberman was dominant in relief as he claimed the win on the mound for the Tritons after tossing the final two shutout innings. Silberman allowed no hits and no walks and struck out two.
Dan Pochmara took the tough-luck loss for Hillsdale after coming in to relieve starter Shane Armstrong. Pochmara allowed one unearned run on one hit and struck out five.
The Tritons will return to conference play against nationally-ranked Florida Tech as they travel to Melbourne for a three-game series this weekend. Friday night's game begins at 6 p.m. and live stats and audio will be available through Florida Tech on www.EckerdTritons.com.
