ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - The Eckerd baseball team picked up back-to-back walk-off wins in the doubleheader over Delta State (Miss.), taking game one 2-1 in 10 innings and game two 5-4 in seven at the Turley Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon. Kyle Ericson proved the hero in the opener with the walk-off single, while Cam Collier drew a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the finale to take the game.
The Tritons got on the board first in game one with a groundout RBI by Cam Collier, bringing Michael Ballard home to score in the first. The Statesmen answered right back in the second with an RBI single by Matt Corder. The game stayed knotted at one, forcing extra innings. In the tenth inning, Kyle Ericsson hit a walk-off RBI single, scoring Tyler Cox, who singled in the inning. Tucker Shalley picked up the win in the game, throwing three strikeouts through three innings of work.
The Statesmen were the first on the board in game two, as they struck early in the first inning. Kirkland Trahan had an RBI single to give Delta State the early jump. The Tritons answered right back in the second with two RBI singles to right field by Kyle Abbott and Ericsson, giving Eckerd the 2-1 favor. Dimerson Nunez drove in another run in the bottom of the second, lengthening the Tritons' lead to two.
Delta State added two runs in the top of the fifth to equalize. The score did not remain even long as Abbott picked up another RBI in the bottom of the fifth. With the seven-inning game winding down, Matt Corder hit a solo home run down the left-field line to keep the Statesmen alive. In the bottom of the frame, Tyler Cox singled down the right field line. Ericsson and Abbot were both walked, loading the bases for Collier to close the door with another walk-off victory. Collier was hit by the pitch for the walk-off RBI.
Tyler Cox pitched the full game for the Tritons in game two, earning the win with two strikeouts and two earned runs through seven innings of work.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
FINAL: Eckerd 2, Delta State 1 (10 Innings)
WP: Shalley (1-1) LP: Cade Hodges (0-1)
Game Two
FINAL: Eckerd 5, Delta State 4 (7 Innings)
WP: Cox (1-0) LP: Magee (0-1)
RECORDS: Eckerd 5-1; Delta State 3-5
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- The Tritons racked up 21 hits on the day through both games.
- Ericson, Abbot, and Collier each had two RBIs on the day.
- Tyler Cox went 4-for-5 in game one and 2-for-3 in game two, with six total hits on the day.
- The Tritons' bullpen combined for 10 strikeouts on the day.
- Kam Gelwick combined for four hits in the doubleheader.
UP NEXT
Eckerd faces off against Delta State again Sunday at 12:00 PM for the finale of their three-game series.
