ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Friday night's series opener with Barry was a thriller including five lead changes and both teams trading a pair of three-run rallies before the Eckerd baseball team took the game in the ninth inning with a walk-off single from
Nick Arrivo.
After an early two-run lead by Eckerd was erased following a three-run third inning by Barry, Eckerd responded to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth inning and took a three-run lead in the sixth. The Buccaneers responded with three runs in the eighth inning to tie the game at 7-7.
Eckerd responded once more loading the bases in the ninth inning to set the stage for Arrivo to send a ball to right field for the walk-off win.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 8, Barry 7
Records: Eckerd 18-11 (9-7 SSC); Barry 20-9 (9-7)
WP: Salisbury (1-0)
LP: Boix (0-1)
HR: Donofrio (4), Rapoza (2)
KEY MOMENTS
- Mitch Donofrio put Eckerd up early with a two-run homerun down the leftf ield line in the second inning.
- Barry responded with three runs in the following frame to take a 3-2 lead. The Buccaneers led off the inning with two singles before an RBI single by JC Garcia pushed a run across and Justin Lamazares followed with a two-run single to take the lead.
- The Bucs tacked on another run in the fourth inning on a solo homerun from Andrew Rapoza.
- Mitch Calandra started a two-out rally in the fifth inning with a single up the middle and the Tritons evened the scored with back-to-back RBI doubles by Sam Cochrane and Chase Achuff.
- After the fourth inning, Dillon McCollough settled in on the mound retiring nine of the next 10 batters including six strikeouts to keep Barry off the board.
- Eckerd took advantage of wild pitching in the sixth inning. Donofrio was hit by a pitch and Keith Leavitt, Jr. and Nick Conti drew walks to load the bases. Garrett Hiott drove in the go-ahead run with a ball lifted into shallow left field. The ball dropped in and Barry was able to get a force at second but Donofrio scored on the play. Calandra then delivered a two-run single to right center plating Leavitt, Jr., and Hiott putting Eckerd up by three.
- Barry rallied to tie the game in the eighth inning. Following two walks to open the frame the Bucs scored on run following an error on a sacrifice bunt. Pinch-hitter Chris Cabrera delivered an RBI single and the tying run scored on the play following a Triton throwing error.
- Calandra started another rally in the ninth reaching second to open the inning following a dropped fly ball by the Buccaneers' left fielder. Cochrane and Achuff also reached base to load the bases for Arrivo. Arrivo jumped on the second pitch he saw and sent a soft single to right field to score Calandra for the winning run.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Calandra led the team with four hits and two RBIs while Achuff also added four hits and Donofrio had two hits and two RBIs.
- McCollough picked up a no-decision allowing four runs over seven innings while striking out 11. It was the 11th time in his career in which McCollough has recorded 10 or more strikeouts in a game. The senior raised his career total to 349 strikeouts.
- Jarid Salisbury picked up his first win of the season following 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.
- Eckerd sits in three-way tie for third place in the conference.
- Donofrio's homer was his team-leading fourth of the season.
UP NEXT
Eckerd and Barry conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader at noon.