ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. –
Dillon McCollough was in complete control on the mound keeping the Florida Tech bats quiet with a career-high 15 strikeouts over eight innings while Eckerd offense used a late surge to take the lead in the eight as the Tritons won for the 10th time in 11 games, taking the series opener from Florida Tech Friday night.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 2, Florida Tech 1
WP: McCollough (3-0)
LP: Marzheuser (2-1)
Sv: Favetta (1)
Records: Eckerd 11-4 (3-1 SSC); Florida Tech 5-7 (2-2 SSC)
KEY MOMENTS
- McCollough cruised on the mound for Eckerd recording five strikeouts in the first two innings and not allowing a hit until the third inning. Florida Tech got two runners aboard in the fifth inning off two singles but McCollough got a pair of strikeouts to escape the jam.
- The Panthers got another two runners on in the eighth inning on a leadoff single and a walk, but again McCollough coaxed two punch-outs to end the Panthers threat.
- The Eckerd bats had a hard time with FIT starter Andrew Marzheuser as the Tritons recorded just one hit over the first five innings. Eckerd finally looked to threaten in the sixth and seventh innings with two runners on in each inning, but both times FIT was able to escape EC's threat.
- The Tritons finally broke through in the eighth inning with a bases-loaded two-run single by Sam Cochrane. Keith Leavitt, Jr. and Nick Conti hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning forcing a Florida Tech pitching change. An intentional walk was issued to Garrett Hiott, and Cochrane made the Panthers pay with a two-run single down the left field line to break the stalemate.
- The Panthers were able to get a run back in the ninth. Jacob Buser led off the inning with a double and scored on a groundout three batters later before Joey Favetta recorded a strikeout to end the game.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- McCollough picked up his third win of the season allowing four hits over eight innings without giving up a run. McCollough's 15 strikeouts set a new career-high surpassing his previous mark of 13, which he achieved twice last year. He currently has 309 career strikeouts ranking second in program history.
- Favetta picked up his first save of the season and ninth of his career, moving into tied for fifth in career saves in program history.
- Cochrane was the only Triton to record multiple hits, also collecting two RBIs.
- Both Hiott and Conti collected hits to extend their hitting streaks to nine games each. Hiott extends his reached base streak to 15 while Conti's is at 13 games.
UP NEXT
Eckerd concludes the series with Florida Tech on Saturday with a doubleheader at 1:00 PM.
