SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Eckerd Tritons baseball team completed a three-game sweep of the Saint Leo Lions on Saturday to close out the regular season, taking game one by a score of 6-4 before winning the finale by a score of 18-7 in seven innings.
In game one,
Kam Gelwick broke a scoreless tie after two innings with a three-run home run in the third to put the Tritons on the board first. Starting pitcher
Tyler Brashear got through four innings without allowing a run and giving up just two hits before running into trouble in the fifth. The Lions struck for a pair to inch closer at a score of 3-2.
Following a scoreless sixth, the Tritons picked up an insurance run after an error brought in Gelwick, who doubled to begin the inning. Saint Leo answered with a two-out, two-run home run to knot the game up at four runs apiece.
It did not take long for Eckerd to move back in front, plating two in the top half of the eighth to claim a 6-4 advantage. After a hit batter and a walk put two runners on,
Joey Bazydlo delivered a go-ahead double to give the Tritons the lead right back.
Corey Hodierne added one more with his sac fly, and Brashear went the final two innings without allowing a hit to secure his second complete game in a row.
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It was a back-and-forth start to game two as the two teams combined for eight runs in just the opening inning. The Tritons began with a three-spot to kick off the game, powered by
Luis Garrido's three-run home run. Saint Leo responded with five in the bottom half to collect its first lead of the day. The Lions added one more in the third to double up the Tritons with a 6-3 score entering the fourth.
Eckerd erupted for seven in the fourth to flip the momentum in its favor.
Gabe Campos' single was responsible for the first run of the frame, setting up Bazydlo's two-run blast during the ensuing at-bat to pull the Tritons even. After three straight walks loaded the bases,
Hunter Rebhan cleared them with one swing of the bat, sending a grand slam out to left field to put the team up 10-6.
One inning later, the Tritons mirrored their fourth-inning effort with another seven-run onslaught. An error and double steal brought in the first two of the frame, followed by RBI hits from both Gelwick and Garrido. A bases-loaded walk to
Jake Ambrosio and a run-scoring hit from Hodierne capped off the scoring outburst.
Garrido's second home run of the game in the sixth put the Tritons up 18-7, which stood until the game ended via run rule after seven. Garrido finished with six runs batted in.
Nathan Norwood went all seven innings to pick up the win on the mound.
Eckerd will await its fate for the postseason tomorrow night when the NCAA Selection Show airs at 10 p.m. ET.
