Palm Beach Atlantic Completes Sweep of Eckerd to Open SSC Play

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Palm Beach Atlantic took both ends of a doubleheader from the Eckerd baseball team on Saturday, completing a three-game sweep of the Tritons to open Sunshine State Conference play.

The Sailfish did the majority of their damage in the later innings of both games, scoring a total of 10 runs from the seventh inning on, while their pitchers held Eckerd's offense at bay for most of the day.

HOW IT ENDED
Game 1 Final: Palm Beach Atlantic 7, Eckerd 5
WP: Fry (2-0)  LP: Alonzo (2-1)  Sv: Hennessey (1)

Game 2 Final: Palm Beach Atlantic 8, Eckerd 2
WP: Schneider (2-1)  LP: Allen (1-1)  HR: Herold (5)
Records: Eckerd 5-6 (0-3 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic 9-5 (3-0 SSC)

KEY MOMENTS
Game 1

• The game was a pitchers' duel for the first four innings and Sean Horner and Nick Alonzo both held the opposition scoreless.
• The Sailfish broke through in the top of the fifth with two runs after a pair of doubles by Sean Houck and Marcos Perez.  Perez later scored in the inning after Eckerd made an error on a throw after a sacrifice bunt by Jake Summey.
• The Tritons responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, beginning with Chase Achuff's one-out single that broke up a no-hit bid by Horner. Mitch Calandra followed with an RBI single for Eckerd's first run, ending Horner's day. Garrett Hiott then delivered a two-run double off reliever Lance Fry giving the Tritons a 3-2 lead.
• Houck again started a PBA rally in the seventh with a leadoff single. Alonzo and Joey Favetta then combined to walk four of the next five batters as the free passes brought in the tying and go-ahead runs.
• PBA added three more in the top of the eighth, all of which came with no outs, before Kevin Kane worked out of the inning.
• Eckerd threatened in the ninth as the Sailfish went through four pitchers.  A walk and two singles loaded the bases for Keith Leavitt, Jr. whose two-out walk scored Bryan Torres and put the winning run on base.  Joey Hennessey entered in relief, however, and struck out Nick Conti to end the game.

Game 2

• Both teams scored runs in the second inning.  Palm Beach Atlantic got a two-out RBI double from Danny Tufariello before Eckerd answered with its own two-out RBI double from Torres.
• After a Sam Cochrane triple in the third, Shane LeMaster singled up the middle to plate Cochrane for a 2-1 Triton lead.
• PBA's Riley Herold tied the game with a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning and the Sailfish later took the lead for good on Jake Summey's two-out RBI double.
• The Sailfish blew the game open in the top of the seventh with five runs on five hits, taking an 8-2 lead.
• Freshmen Brandon Castle and Jack Iervolino pitched out of jams in the eighth and ninth innings to hold PBA scoreless but the Tritons were unable to make up any of the deficit.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• The Sailfish pitching staff combined for 18 strikeouts in the first game.  Horner fanned nine in 4.1 innings while Fry struck out seven in 3.2 innings.  The Tritons did manage to draw 10 walks in the game as well.
• Cochrane extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a ninth-inning single in the opener and triple in the third inning in the finale.
• Shane LeMaster started both ends of the doubleheader, going 3-for-5 in the second game.

UP NEXT
The Tritons wrap up a nine-game homestand hosting Davenport (Mich.) on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 PM.