FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Eckerd Tritons baseball team took the opener of a three-game series on Friday against the Nova Southeastern Sharks by a score of 11-3.
Following a scoreless opening frame, the Tritons struck for three in the top half of the second. Two straight singles kicked off the inning before
Luis Garrido's double brought in the first tally of the game.
Dawson Jones made it four straight hits to begin the inning and the second consecutive double during the next at-bat, bringing in two more to give the Tritons a 3-0 lead. The Sharks answered with one in the bottom of the third to cut the margin down to two.
Eckerd broke the game open with a six-spot in the fourth.
Christian Cabina opened the scoring surge with a leadoff solo home run and was followed by four straight base hits that included run-scoring singles from both
Dylan Escobar and
Joey Bazydlo. An error by Nova Southeastern accounted for the next two runs of the inning for the Tritons before Cabina notched his second RBI in the frame with a base hit through the left side. Eckerd led 9-1 after four innings of play.Â
Starting pitcher
Grady Bivens worked a quick three-up, three-down fifth and ended his night with nine strikeouts and just three hits allowed. The home team inched closer with two runs in the seventh, but Eckerd got them back with a tally in each of the eighth and ninth innings.
Corey Hodierne hit a sac fly in the eighth for an RBI and Jones capped off the night with a run-scoring single in the ninth to help complete the eight-run win.Â
Bivens earned his third win of the season, while
Max Folkman pitched 2.2 scoreless innings in relief. As a team, the Tritons belted 13 hits, led by three apiece from both Cabina and Jones.
Games two and three of the series will be played tomorrow.
