ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd baseball team earned its fourth straight series win with a doubleheader sweep of Embry-Riddle on Friday. The Tritons used strong pitching combined with an equally strong offense to cruise past the Eagles.
In the opener,
Dillon McCollough dominated on the mound tying his career-high 13 strikeouts in the win. The Triton offense scored early with a
Nick Conti solo homerun to lead off the opening frame while adding seven runs in innings four through six. In the finale,
Nick Alonzo cruised on the mound throwing seven scoreless innings while the Tritons again scored in the first inning.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
Final: Eckerd 8, Embry Riddle 6
Records: Eckerd 19-17 (9-10 SSC), Embry-Riddle 10-24 (1-15 SSC)
WP: McCollough (4-2)
LP: Brady (0-6)
SV: Iervolino (3)
HR: Conti (5), Bogart
Game Two
Final: Eckerd 11, Embry-Riddle 2
Records: Eckerd 20-17 (10-10 SSC), Embry-Riddle 10-25 (1-16 SSC)
WP: Alonzo (5-4)
LP: Crouse (2-3)
HR: Olivier
KEY MOMENTS
Game One
- Eckerd wasted no time to score as Conti led off the bottom of the first frame with a solo homerun to centerfield on just the second pitch of the inning.
- Embry-Riddle took a brief lead in the fourth inning on a Cody Bogart two-run homer.
- The Tritons regained the lead in the bottom of the inning with three runs. Mitch Calandra and Garrett Hiott singled while Keith Leavitt, Jr walked to load the bases for Eckerd. Shane LeMaster then grounded out to second for the tying run and Leavitt, Jr. put Eckerd ahead scoring on a wild pitch. Justin Glover drove in the final run of the inning with a single to right center, putting Eckerd up 4-2.
- Eckerd took a 7-2 lead in the following inning with three runs. Leavitt, Jr. drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI single through the right side and Bryan Torres drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single up the middle.
- The Tritons added another run in the sixth inning as Jack Romine scored on an Eagle throwing error.
- Embry-Riddle tacked on a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly.
- The Eagles came within striking distance in the ninth inning following a solo and two-run homerun, but Jack Iervolino enter in relief coaxing a groundout and strikeout to close the game and pick up his third save of the season.
Game Two
- Conti and Chase Achuff reached on a hit by pitch and single to lead off the first inning and Calandra quickly drove in the first run with a single through the right side. LeMaster drove in the second run of the inning with a single to right center.
- The Tritons added another run in the fourth inning on a RBI triple by Romine.
- Eckerd plated an additional two runs in the fifth on a Hiott RBI single and sacrifice fly from LeMaster while adding another run in the sixth on a Romine sacrifice fly.
- Embry-Riddle scored its only runs of the game in the eighth inning on a two-run homerun by Luis Olivier.
- The Triton offense exploded in the eighth inning with five insurance runs. Hiott and Torres both scored on wild pitches in the inning while Glover drove in one run with a single to right center. Achuff drove in the final two runs of the inning with a two-run double off the left centerfield wall.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- With hits in both games, Achuff extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Conti had a hit in the opener extending his streak to nine games but went hitless in the finale to bring his streak to an end. However, he has now reached base safely in his last 10 games while Calandra has a 12-game reached base streak.
- McCollough tied his career-high with 13 strikeouts set a month ago against Rollins. This is the third outing this season McCollough has recorded double-digits in strikeouts. Alonzo fanned seven through seven innings without allowing a run.
- Eckerd has now won its fourth straight series and has moved to fifth place in the conference standings.
UP NEXT
Eckerd will complete the series with Embry-Riddle tomorrow with a single game at 1:00 PM.
