Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd baseball team got back into the win column on Wednesday afternoon behind a strong pitching performance, defeating St. Thomas (Fla.), 5-2, at the Turley Athletic Complex.
The Tritons (4-11) scored three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie, all coming with two outs. After
Garrett Hiott singled and advanced to second on a balk,
Mitch Calandra drove him in as the go-ahead run with a single down the right field line.
Nick Conti followed with a single to set the table for
Sam Cochrane who beat out a bunt and drew a errant throw from STU third baseman Daniel Lowry, allowing both runners to score.
Eckerd's bullpen took care of the rest as
Kevin Kane and
Jack Mahan held the Bobcats (12-6) scoreless over the final four innings. Kane (2-2) worked the sixth and seventh innings to earn the win while Mahan picked up the save tossing two hitless frames in the eighth and ninth.
Tom Buonopane's RBI double in the bottom of the first gave Eckerd an early lead, but solo home runs by St. Thomas in the second and fourth innings turned the game in its favor.
Hiott, however, tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out single to score
Reid Zitzelburg, and the Tritons took the lead for good in the sixth.
Robin Allen turned in a solid outing for Eckerd in his second start of the season, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings of work while striking out three.
Cochrane extended his hitting streak to 15 games after a 3-for-5 performance. Conti, Buonopane and Hiott each had two hits in the win.
Eckerd returns to the field on Friday, hosting Cedarville (Ohio) for a 6:00 PM contest.
