ST. PETERSBURG -- The Eckerd Tritons baseball team hit a pair of three-run home runs Friday night to defeat the visiting Flagler Saints in the opening contest of a three-game series.
The Tritons struck first with a pair of runs in their opening at-bat.
Kam Gelwick doubled to center to drive in the game's first run, and
Christian Cabina followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2–0. Eckerd totaled three hits in the frame, with
Ean Gimson and
Corey Hodierne opening the game with back-to-back singles.
Starting pitcher Grady Bivens set the tone early, striking out the side in the first inning. He faced the minimum in the second before adding three more strikeouts in the third to keep the Saints off the scoreboard.
The Tritons broke the game open in the fourth, plating six runs on three hits. The first two Eckerd hitters reached via error and a single, setting the stage for an infield hit by Dawson Jones that drove in the inning's first run. Hodierne followed with an RBI fielder's choice, and a sacrifice fly from Luis Garrido pushed the lead to 5-0. Three batters later, Christian Cabina launched a three-run home run over the left-field fence to extend the advantage to 8-0.
The Saints cut into the deficit with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth, but the Tritons responded in the bottom half as Hodierne delivered a two-out single to bring home Jones. Anthony Marino extended the lead with a three-run home run in the seventh to make it 12-3, and Nathan Norwood tossed two scoreless innings to close out the nine-run victory.
Bivens earned the win on the mound after going five innings and collecting seven strikeouts. Rocco Calise also secured a pair of scoreless innings on the mound in relief. Offensively, the Tritons posted 11 hits, with Hodierne leading the way three. Marino and Jones also notched multi-hit performances with two apiece.
The two teams will square off tomorrow for a doubleheader.
