Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After a rare weekend off from conference play, the Eckerd baseball team hosted Saint Thomas (Fla.) University on Sunday afternoon. The Tritons narrowly fell to the Bobcats, 5-3.
The fifth inning turned out to be the difference as the Bobcats (25-13) scored three crucial runs to take a 4-2 lead. An infield single and a walk to start the inning set the table for Cesar Ramirez, who cleared the bases with a triple to right-center field. Two batters later, Ramirez came home on an RBI groundout by Jack Diaz.
STU stood to add to its lead after an overturned call at first base put runners on the corners with two outs. However, reliever
Gardner Nutter struck out Michael Centeno to end the inning.
The Tritons (9-15) had a 2-1 lead heading into the fifth after RBIs by
Nick Hill and
Matt MacMahon in the third and fourth innings. After Saint Thomas retook control in the fifth, Eckerd cut the lead in half in the bottom of the seventh when
Carter Cashman led off with a double and scored on
Jake Romine's RBI single.
STU added a run in the ninth inning with two outs as Jose Gomez scored from third on a wild pitch. Eckerd brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the inning after Cashman roped a two-out double down the left field line, but Romine was retired by Alex Viera to end the game.
Hill had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Cashman also had two hits, both doubles.
Tom Buonopane and
Mitchell Calandra also doubled for Eckerd.
Jack Mahan (2-1) took the loss, allowing four runs - three earned - over 4-1/3 innings.
Dillon McCollough worked the final four innings, holding the Bobcats to just two hits while striking out four.
The Tritons return to action this weekend, visiting provisional SSC member Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in Daytona Beach for a three-game series beginning on Friday.
