Dominant Pitching Leads Tritons in Shutout Victory

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Four pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout, leading the Eckerd baseball team to a 3-0 win on Wednesday over Webber International (Fla.) at the Turley Athletic Complex.

Justin Glover gave Eckerd a pair of insurance runs with a two-run shot in the eighth, and Kevin Kane pitched out of a ninth-inning jam to preserve the win.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 3, Webber International 0
Records: Eckerd 21-21; WIU 31-20
WP: Martin (2-3)  LP: White (4-1)  Sv: Kane (1)  HR: Glover (6)

KEY MOMENTS

• Nick Conti led off the bottom of the first inning with a double and scored on a two-out single by Keith Leavitt, Jr. for what would be the only run of the game for the next six innings.
• Eckerd starter Drew Martin faced the minimum through three innings before running into a bit of trouble in the fourth with runners at the corners and one out.  However, he struck out WIU's Jesse Coleman and Mitch Calandra cut down Marcus Begg's stolen base attempt for an inning-ending double play.
• Neither team generated much in the way of offense in the next three innings.  Dillon McCollough tossed two perfect innings of relief in the sixth and seventh for Eckerd while Joey Favetta held the Warriors scoreless in the eighth.
• Eckerd had a scoring chance in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second with one out, but the Warriors' Juan Terron struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
• Terron wasn't so lucky in the eighth.  After Shane LeMaster singled, Justin Glover blasted a 1-1 pitch over the right-field fence for a two-out, two-run homerun.
• Kane allowed back-to-back singles with one out in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate, but got Begg to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• Eckerd's shutout was its second of the season and first since a 4-0 win on opening weekend at Shorter (Ga.).
• The Triton defense provided solid support to the pitching staff with three double plays.  Calandra also cut down both attempted base-stealers.
• McCollough fanned four in two innings of relief, giving him 97 on the season. He needs three more to become only the fourth pitcher in program history to reach 100 strikeouts in a season.
• Chase Achuff extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a single in the seventh.  It's the longest for a Triton since Minervino Labrador hit in 22 straight in 2010.

UP NEXT
Eckerd travels to Babson Park to face Webber International on the road on Friday at 6:00 PM.