Tritons Open Home Stand with Win over Webber

Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd baseball team started a nine-game home stand on a positive note, picking up an 8-6 win over Webber International on Wednesday at the Turley Athletic Complex.

The Tritons (11-17) overcame a three-run first inning by the Warriors, plating four in the third and eventually taking the lead for good in the sixth while getting strong performances out of the bullpen from Kelsey Lunde, Mike Eagan, Ben Deaver, Zach Hoppe and Joey Favetta.

After falling behind early, Eckerd's bats came alive in the bottom of the third as four of the first five batters in the inning recorded base hits.  Nick Hill legged out an infield single and drove in the first run of the game for Eckerd, then came around to score along with Tom Buonopane one batter later after Mitchell Calandra roped a triple into the right-center gap.  Nick Conti capped off the inning with a sacrifice fly to bring in Calandra.

The Warriors (26-16) tied the game in the fourth after Lunde retired the first two hitters.  WIU came up with back-to-back singles, the second of which turned into a run after an errant throw to third allowed Daniel Timmons to score.

EC took the lead for good in the sixth inning on another sacrifice fly, this time from Matt MacMahon to bring in Conti from third.  Eckerd then got two insurance runs in the seventh after Hill, Calandra and Grant Banko strung together three consecutive two-out hits to make it 7-4.

Those two runs turned out to be important as Webber scored twice in the top of the eighth thanks to a two-out error that allowed Sjahbar Martis to score all the way from first followed by an RBI single by Jake Frisosky.

But the Tritons gained a bit more of a cushion in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by Jake Romine, and Favetta held WIU scoreless in the ninth to close the game and earn his first save.  Favetta got some assistance from his defense after giving up a one-out double as Romine made a diving catch in right field and proceeded to double up Jordan Thomas at second.

Eagan (2-0) earned the win, working a perfect inning of relief.  Lunde was also effective out of the bullpen in relief of Nick Alonzo, allowing just one unearned run in four innings of work.

Hill led Eckerd at the plate with three hits while Calandra, Banko and Romine each had two.

The Tritons return to the field this weekend hosting Palm Beach Atlantic in a three-game series that begins Friday at 6:00 PM.