ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd baseball team split the doubleheader with the Buccaneers, taking the opener 7-5, before falling in the rubber match 12-9 on Saturday at the Turley Athletic Complex.
Eckerd started the day on fire, with a two-run homer to right center by Zade Stark for Eckerd to take an early 2-0 lead after the first. The Buccaneers retaliated with a three-run third inning, flipping the advantage in their direction. With the bases loaded in third Eckerd knotted the score at three apiece, scoring on a wild pitch before a sacrifice fly by Coltin Pizzio put Eckerd back in the lead.
Eckerd kept the pressure on in the fourth, adding two more runs, doubling Barry's score for a 6-3 lead. The Bucs had some chances in the late innings, coming within one in the seventh, but an RBI single by Pizzio gave the Tritons some added insurance in the bottom of the frame leading 7-5. A 1-2-3 inning by Jacob Thomas in the ninth closed the door for a 7-5 Triton victory.
Eckerd wasted no time in the finale, putting up three runs in the first inning. However, a two-run shot by Savi Delgado followed by a sacrifice fly by Joe Wike in the second evened the score. The Bucs added two more in the next frame, flipping the score in their favor, 5-3. An RBI double by Stark in the second brought Eckerd within striking distance before a two-run homer by Christian Perez in the third put Eckerd ahead 6-5.
The Tritons began to slip in the fourth, allowing three runs to fall behind 8-6. A run for Barry in the sixth, combined with a three-run seventh inning brought the Bucs' tally to double digits. Eckerd showed some fight in the bottom of the ninth, shortening the deficit to three, but it was not enough to complete the upset, falling in the series-decider, 12-9.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
FINAL: Eckerd 7, Barry 5
WP: Gargett (2-0) LP: Valle-Jha (2-3) S: Thomas (2) HR: Stark (4)
Game Two
FINAL: Barry 12, Eckerd 9
WP: Blocker (3-2) LP: Rainey (0-2) HR: BU - Delgado (2), EC - Perez (2)
RECORDS: Eckerd 7-22 (3-9 SSC), Barry 16-12 (5-6 SSC)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Stark led the Tritons with four hits and four RBIs on the day.
- Eckerd totaled five doubles on the day, two from Christian Cabina.
- The Tritons turned two double plays in the series finale.
- Eckerd's bullpen combined for seven strikeouts in game one.
- Gelwick tabbed three RBIs on the day, while Pizzio, Cabina, and Perez each had two.
UP NEXT
Eckerd hits the road next weekend, for a conference series in West Palm Beach against Palm Beach Atlantic on Friday at 6:00 PM.
