ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd baseball team rallied for five runs in the sixth and eighth innings but was unable to make up the deficit from an early Lions' lead as Saint Leo took the second game, 11-6, of the home-and-home series Tuesday night at the Turley Athletic Complex.
Saint Leo jumped ahead with a two-run homerun in the fourth, but Mitch Donofrio cut the deficit in half with an RBI single the next inning.
The Lions took a 6-1 lead with five runs in the sixth on a solo homerun, RBI double, and pair of RBI singles. Joe Muzio answered in the bottom of the frame with a two-run blast to right field.
SLU added four runs in the eighth. Eckerd responded once again with three runs in the inning on Muzio's RBI double and RBI singles from Michael Ballard and Dimerson Nunez.
HOW IT ENDED
FINAL: Saint Leo 11, Eckerd 6
WP: Lefebvre (2-0) LP: Durham (2-2) HR: Muzio (1), Roa (8), Sparling (17), Crail (4)
RECORDS: Eckerd 13-16, Saint Leo (24-12)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Muzio's homerun was the first of his career.
- Nunez, Danny Gutcher, and Muzio each recorded two hits.
- Muzio led the team with three RBIs.
- Ballard extended his hitting streak to 10 games while extending his reached base streak to 16 games.
- Three other Tritons have reached base streaks over 10 games: Jake Andriole (19), Joe Wike (16), and Gutcher (15).
- The game featured a combined 40 players between the two squads.
- Troy Dunnam and Ryan Lashley pitched scoreless relief appearances as Lashley stuck out the side in the ninth.
UP NEXT
Eckerd returns to SSC action on Friday at Nova Southeastern for a 6:00 PM start.
