ST. PETERSBURG -- The Eckerd Tritons baseball team dropped the final two games of the weekend to the Flagler Saints on Saturday, dropping game one by a score of 15-10 before falling in the finale, 17-7.
In game one, Eckerd jumped out to an early lead with a four-run opening frame. After loading the bases without the benefit of a hit, an error brought in the first run before
Corey Hodierne sent a double down the right-field line to drive in two more.
Hunter Rebhan followed with an RBI groundout to make it 4-0 after one.
Flagler cut the margin in half with two runs in the second and followed with three more in the third to take its first lead of the contest. Eckerd responded in the bottom of the third, reclaiming the advantage with a pair of runs on RBI doubles from Kam Gelwick and Rebhan. The Tritons carried a 6-5 lead through the next three innings, but seven runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth put the visitors in front for good. Eckerd mounted a rally attempt in the bottom of the ninth, plating four runs on RBIs from Hodierne, Gelwick, and Christian Cabina.
Eckerd totaled 12 hits in the opener, with Hodierne and Rebhan each recording three.
In game two, the Tritons again struck first, scoring one run in each of the first two innings following Flagler errors. The Saints answered with three runs in the third, but Eckerd regained the lead by plating three in the fourth. Dawson Jones sparked the rally with an RBI single before Hodierne drove in two more with a base hit. After Flagler evened the score at 5-5 in the fifth, a wild pitch allowed the Tritons to move back in front with a run in the bottom half.
Flagler pulled away late, scoring 12 runs across the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to secure a 17-7 victory. Gelwick's RBI groundout in the eighth accounted for Eckerd's final run.
Ean Gimson and Rebhan each turned in multi-hit performances in game two.
Eckerd will return to action next weekend at Middle Georgia State.
