Moore, McCollough Go Distance as Tritons Split With Embry-Riddle

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd baseball team got a pair of fantastic pitching performances from Alex Moore and Dillon McCollough, splitting a doubleheader with Embry-Riddle (Fla.) on Saturday at the Turley Athletic Complex.

Despite a complete-game, 13-strikeout performance from Moore in the opener, the Tritons' ninth-inning rally fell short in a 3-2 loss.  McCollough followed with another complete game, allowing just four hits on the way to a 4-1 Eckerd win.

In the series finale, the Tritons (14-21) scored twice in the sixth and seventh innings to give McCollough all the support he needed.

After the Eagles (12-24) held EC scoreless through five, Justin Glover tied the game on an RBI groundout followed by a Chase Achuff single to drive in the go-ahead run.  Mitch Calandra then doubled the score with a two-run single in the seventh.

McCollough, meanwhile, locked down Embry-Riddle after the Eagles scored their lone run in the top of the first.  He worked out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out Cody Bogart and was nearly untouchable the rest of the way, not allowing a runner to advance past first base and retiring the final 17 batters he faced.

In the opening game, the Tritons threatened to rally from a three-run deficit in the ninth after three Eagle pitchers had combined to keep EC off the scoreboard for eight innings.

Achuff ended the shutout with an RBI triple, bringing in Tom Buonopane after he led off the inning with a single.  Glover then reached on an error, allowing Achuff to score to make it a one-run game.  Terence Hebda came in as a pinch runner, but the game ended on a strike-out/throw-out double play.

It gave Moore (0-5) a hard-luck loss after the sophomore struck out a career-high 13 batters.  The Eagles scored a run in each of the fifth through seventh innings, and it turned out to be just enough.

Nick Conti had a pair of hits in the opener and reached base on a walk in the finale to extend his streak of reaching base safely to 35 games.  Calandra had hits in both ends of the doubleheader, pushing his hitting streak to 12.

Eckerd returns to the field on Thursday, visiting Palm Beach Atlantic for a three-game series.