SAINT LEO, Fla. - The Eckerd baseball team used an early surge, thanks to a five-run first inning, as part of an upset victory, 8-6, over No. 23 Saint Leo in the series opener Friday night at Thomas B. Southard Stadium. The victory gave Josh Beauregard '03 career win 100.
The Tritons jumped out to a hot start with a 5-0 lead in the opening inning. Tyler Cox plated the first run with a double, followed by an RBI single by Joe Wike. Jake Andriole added a sacrifice fly, while Danny Gutcher and Dimerson Nunez added a pair of RBI singles.
SLU added a run in the bottom of the frame before both teams plated a run in the third as EC held a 6-2 lead.
After adding three runs in the fourth, the Lions cut Eckerd's lead to one, 6-5. The Tritons plated two insurance runs on Michael Ballard's two-run single in the seventh.
Saint Leo added a run in the ninth, but Payton McIntosh coaxed a groundout to end the game.
HOW IT ENDED
FINAL: Eckerd 8, No. 23 Saint Leo 6
WP: Stipp (4-5) LP: Heidel (2-4)
RECORDS: Eckerd 18-25 (11-14 SSC); Saint Leo 33-15 (18-10 SSC)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Head Coach Josh Beauregard '03 recorded his 100th career victory with the win.
- Cox led Eckerd with three hits while Nunez, Ballard, Mitch Donofrio, Wike, Gutcher, and Joe Muzio collected two each.
- Nunez and Ballard each recorded two RBIs.
- Jacob Stipp recorded his fourth victory tossing six innings while fanning five.
- Wike extended his reached base streak to 30 games while Donofrio (18), Cox (14), and Nunez (12) each extended theirs as well.
UP NEXT
Eckerd concludes the three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader slated for 1:00 PM.
