Baseball Splits with Miami to Take Series

Miami, Fla - The SCF baseball team (20-10, 8-6 Citrus) split their doubleheader with Miami Dade (13-15, 6-8 Citrus) losing game one 13-3 in six innings before winning game two 5-4 to take the series 2-1.

Game One:

Head Coach Tim Hill II sent freshman Lochlan Radloff (4-1, 2.58 ERA) to start game one, while Miami Dade head coach Lazaro Llanes went with sophomore Jordan Vargas (3-1, 5.06 ERA) to counter.

The Manatees would get on the board first as freshman Ben Ryan would bring in sophomore Allan Gil Fernandez with an RBI single before he and freshman Holden Brauner scored on an error for a 3-0 lead, but it would be short lived as the Sharks scored in the third through sixth innings to take the win.

Radloff would fall to 4-2 after giving up eight runs on 11 hits with three walks and one strikeout in five innings. 

Vargas would improve to 4-1 after throwing a one-hit complete game, giving up three runs with three walks and two strikeouts.

Ryan would be the lone Manatee with a hit in the game as he went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run.

Game Two:

Looking to take the rubber match, Hill II sent sophomore Oscar Hernandez (4-2, 256 ERA) to the mound for game two, while Llanes went with sophomore Luis Rodriguez (1-4, 9.17 ERA) to counter.

The Manatees would open on the board first at the top of the first beginning with a leadoff walk by sophomore Mario Trivella. After Gil Fernandez hit a single to left, Brauner would send a single to center to bring in Trivella. Ryan would then reach base on an error as Gil Fernandez scored before sophomore Hayden Gustavson would single to left to bring in Brauner to make it 3-0 SCF. The Sharks would then respond in the bottom half of the inning after a sacrifice fly by freshman Cian Copeland to make 3-1 sill in SCF's favor.

After the second inning went scoreless, the Manatees would make it 4-1 at the top of the third as Ryan would show his power and send a solo home run to left for his fourth of the season. They would add their final run at the game at the top of the sixth as sophomore Luke Boykin would send a solo home run of his own for his sixth of the season.

The Sharks would try to rally together in the sixth and seventh, but it would ultimately not be enough as the Manatees sealed the victory.

Hernandez would improve to 5-2 after giving up four runs on seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts in seven innings. Sophomore Daniel Hartley would earn his third save of the season after throwing two-thirds of a scoreless inning of relief, while redshirt freshman Cole Dement would throw one and a third scoreless innings of relief with one walk and two strikeouts.

Rodriguez would fall to 1-5 after giving up three runs on three hits with one walk in two innings.

Gil Fernandez lead the way in hitting as he went 2-for-4 with a run, while Brauner (1-for-3, one RBI, one run and one walk), Ryan (1-for-5, one home run), Gustavson (1-for-4, one RBI), Boykin (1-for-4, one home run) and freshman Will Rawls (1-for-3, one walk) had the remaining five hits.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

#6 Florida Southwestern State (23-7, 10-5 Citrus) splits with Seminole State College of Florida (18-12, 8-7 Citrus) losing game one 5-1 before winning game two 13-8.

RV Polk State (19-13, 10-5 Citrus) splits with #17 Central Florida (22-7, 9-6 Citrus) winning game one 8-5 before losing game two 8-0.

Daytona State (9-17, 7-8 Citrus) swept Hillsborough (11-16, 5-10 Citrus) 6-3 and 14-5 .

#10 Indian River State (21-7, 11-4 Citrus) swept St. Pete (3-25, 1-14 Citrus) 20-6 and 15-8.

Santa Fe (14-16, 7-8 Citrus) swept Eastern Florida State (17-12, 7-8 Citrus) 4-2 and 10-8.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #10 Indian River State (21-7, 11-4)

2. #6 Florida Southwestern (23-7, 10-5)

3. RV Polk State (19-13, 10-5)

4. #17 Central Florida (22-7, 9-6)

5. SCF (20-10, 8-6)

6. Seminole State College of Florida (18-12, 8-7)

7. Eastern Florida State (17-12, 7-8)

8. Santa Fe (14-16, 7-8)

9. Daytona State (9-17, 7-8)

10. Miami Dade (13-15, 6-8)

11. Hillsborough (11-16, 5-10)

12. St. Pete (3-25, 1-14)

Up Next:

The Manatees take on #6 Florida Southwestern in a non-conference game at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers Tuesday afternoon, March 18 at 3 pm before shifting their focus on Hillsborough Community College (11-16, 5-10 Citrus) for their next Citrus Conference series.