SCF Baseball Claims Series Over South Florida State

The SCF baseball team (13-10, 2-0 Suncoast) claimed the first series of Suncoast Conference play as they defeated South Florida State (13-11, 0-2 Suncoast) 2-1 in 11 innings at Wynn Field. With the win, the Manatees are now 23-12 against the Panthers.

For the game, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound, while South Florida State head coach Rick Hitt sent sophomore Connor Gleeson to counter.

For the first four innings, it was a pitchers duel between Smith and Gleeson as both pitchers led a combined 15 strikeouts (Smith: 10, Gleeson: 5) until the fifth inning when Smith got two more 'Ks' before Gleeson buckled to give the Manatees the lead after an RBI single by sophomore Aaron McKeithan brought in classmate Rook Ellington. This would signal the end for Gleeson as Hitt would then send in freshman Blayne Huter to finish the fifth.

For the next two innings, the Manatees held on to a 1-0 lead with Smith finishing the seventh inning with a final strikeout before Hill called in sophomore Jakob Mattos to come in relief at the top of the eighth, but would give up the tying run after sophomore Zeddric Burnham scored on fielding error. The game would then go into extra innings after.

After sophomore Toni Rossi threw a scoreless top half of the 11th, the Manatees would go for the win in walk-off fashion in the bottom half as sophomore John Malcom would bring in Ellington after scoring on a fielding error to win the game.

Smith would be left with a no-decision after throwing seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out 13 batters, while Mattos gave up one unearned run in two hitless innings with two walks and a strikeout.

Rossi was credited with the win after two scoreless innings, giving up one hit with three walks and five strikeouts. Rossi is now 2-0 on the year.

Gleeson would earn a no-decision for the Panthers after giving up one run on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

Sophomore Jack Keeler would be dubbed with the loss after giving up one unearned run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in one and a third inning. Keeler is now 0-2 on the year.

Ellington, Malcom, McKeithan and freshmen Cameron Lee, Owen Ayers and Richard Rodriguez and sophomore Remi Patry each had a hit for the Manatees.

Sophomore Casey Asman had the Panthers lone multi-hit game as he went 3-for-3 with two walks. Classmate Shane Magrann had the Panthers' fourth hit as he went 1-for-4.

Up Next:
The Manatees look to sweep the first series as they return to Panther Field in Avon Park Friday night, March 7 at 6 pm.