SCF Baseball Mercy Rules Daytona State

PC by SCF Baseball

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (13-7, 4-3 Citrus) kept their foot on the gas offensively as they defeated Daytona State (9-9, 2-5 Citrus) 11-3 by the seven inning mercy rule.

"When it comes to conference, every coach knows that they are the toughest games in the season," said head coach Tim Hill II. "It's a battle every game and to able to come out and play on our home field is ok. It was good to see the guys have a good win on our field for sure."

"It was a great team win," said sophomore Brandon Clarke. "We fought hard with our bats and a little helpful energy from Coach Spuds (Chris Sabo) woke us up. We look forward to taking the series over them (Daytona State) tomorrow."

"Overall, the team did amazing," said sophomore Luis Garrido. "We really woke up with our bats and Brandon (Clarke) did a great job on the mound for us."

Hill II sent Clarke (2-1, 5.75 ERA) to the mound to start the game, while Daytona State head coach Tim Touma sent sophomore Bryce Roth (2-1, 5.25 ERA) to counter.

The first three innings were a pitcher duel as both Clarke and Roth held each other scoreless with Clarke having the upper hand in strikeouts. At the top of the fourth, the Falcons would get on the board first as redshirt sophomore Nate Cannizzaro would bring in a run with an RBI groundout. Despite that, Clarke was able to remain calm as he got one more strikeout in.

At the top of the fifth, Clarke would make a crucial defensive play with two outs and on a wild pitch as the upcoming South Carolina transfer would make up for it and tag the runner out at home with help from sophomore Santiago Ordonez.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would then get on the board. After a leadoff double by freshman Luke Boykin and a bunt single by sophomore Preston Wetherell, sophomore Erick Almonte would get the run game on the board for the Manatees with a single to center to bring in Boykin before the Falcons changed pitchers.

One batter later, after the pitching change and Almonte stealing second, freshman Pip Smalley would send a single to left to bring in Wetherell and Almonte for the Manatees first lead of the game. After a single by classmate Allan Gil-Fernandez and walk drawn by freshman Hayden Gustavson to load the bases, Garrido would send a hard ground ball past the third baseman to bring in Smalley and Gil-Fernandez for a 5-1 SCF lead.

At the top of the sixth, the Falcons would cut the lead to 5-2 after sophomore Xavier Lopez sent a solo home run to right for his third of the season. The Manatees would respond in the bottom half of the inning beginning with a leadoff single by Wetherell before Almonte bunted and reached base on a Falcon fielding error that would send both him and Wetherell home. After sophomore Jalen Hairston drew a walk, Smalley would show his power as he lined a two-run homer to right for his second of the season and make it 9-2 SCF.

After Clarke finished the top of the seventh with three strikeouts despite the Falcons scoring on a wild pitch, the Manatees decided to end the game in the bottom half of the inning. Garrido and Boykin would hit back to back singles before Garrido scored on a wild pitch. After Wetherell drew a walk and Almonte hit a single to load the bases, Hairston would then send a single to left to bring in Boykin and Wetherell to seal the victory for the Manatees.

Clarke would improve to 3-1 after throwing a seven inning complete game, giving up three runs on five hits with one walk and a career-high 12 strikeouts.

"I thought I did really well," said Clarke. "I thought I was going to have a little bit of a struggle in a couple of innings, but I was able to do what I needed to do out there to get the win on the mound"

Roth would fall to 2-2 after giving up three runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in four innings.

Five Manatees had a multi-hit game. It was Smalley that lead the way offensively as he finished 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs and four RBI. Garrido would follow with a three-hit game of his own as he finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run.

"I thought I did well at the plate," said Garrido. "I'm glad I was able to provide the sparks to help us win this game."

Almonte (2-for-5), Boykin (2-for-4) and Wetherell (2-for-3) rounded out the order as they each had two hits apiece. Almonte added one RBI, two runs and a stolen base, while Boykin added two runs and Wetherell added three runs and a walk.

Hairston (1-for-4, two RBI, one run and one walk), Gil-Fernandez (1-for-4, one run) and Ordonez (1-for-4) had the remaining three hits, while freshman Hayden Gustavson (two walks) also contributed in the game.

For the Falcons, they would produce five hits which was lead by Lopez's solo home run.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

RV Florida Southwestern (15-6, 6-1 Citrus) defeated Hillsborough (14-7, 5-2 Citrus) by a score of 5-1.

Eastern Florida State (11-9-1, 3-4 Citrus) defeated Seminole State College of Florida (13-7, 3-4 Citrus) 5-1.

Santa Fe (13-8, 4-3 Citrus) defeated Indian River State (12-6, 4-3 Citrus) 8-1.

Miami Dade (11-10, 3-3 Citrus) defeated Polk State (11-13, 2-4 Citrus) 3-2 in 11 innings.

Central Florida (13-7, 4-3 Citrus) defeated St. Pete College (6-12, 1-6 Citrus) 9-6.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. RV Florida Southwestern (15-6, 6-1)

2. Hillsborough (14-7, 5-2)

3. Indian River State (12-6, 4-3)

4. College of Central Florida (13-7, 4-3)

5. SCF (13-7, 4-3)

6. Santa Fe (13-8, 4-3)

7. Miami Dade (11-10, 3-3)

8. Seminole State College (13-7, 3-4)

9. Eastern Florida State (11-9-1, 3-4)

10. Polk State (11-13, 2-4)

11. Daytona State (10-9, 2-5)

12. St. Pete (6-12, 1-6)

Up Next:

The Manatees will resume their series with Daytona State in a doubleheader Friday afternoon, March 1 at 1 and 4 pm at the Daytona State Baseball Complex in Daytona. Sophomore Ed Wagner (2-2, 3.24 ERA) will be given the nod to start game one while game two is to be determined.

SCF Softball Splits With HCC

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (7-3, 1-1 Citrus) opened Citrus Conference play with a split against Hillsborough (6-7, 1-1 Citrus) winning game one 8-0 in five innings via mercy rule before falling 7-4 in game two.

"Both games showed two different teams," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "In the first game, we played the way we should be playing all the time, but the second game we came out flat and gave Hillsborough an opportunity of momentum to jump back in. If we were to do what we needed to take care of, the result would be different."

"I thought we did good in the first game, but lost focus when we played the second game," said sophomore Haley Rosenbaum. "We did try to come back and fight to stay alive at least."

"I thought we did pretty good," said freshman Julianna Stachowicz. "We just have to keep our energy up and get on top of the errors that we had and come back with our bats."

Game One:

Schuerman sent Stachowicz (2-0, 1.11 ERA) to the mound to start game one, while Hillsborough head coach Elzabeth Hollman went with freshman Alyssa Miranda (1-3, 2.37 ERA) to counter.

After Stachowicz breezed through the first inning with a couple of strikeouts, the Manatees would jump early on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning as freshman Olivia Rogers would ground a single to left to send sophomore Haley Rosenbaum home for 1-0 Manatee lead.

In the bottom of the second, the Manatees would increase their lead beginning with a leadoff double by Stachowicz. After freshman Lydia Denton hit a single, Rosenbaum would then send a double to left-center to bring in Stachowicz and Denton. Sophomore Stephanie Oaks would then bunt into a fielder's choice to bring in Rosenbaum and then steal second before Rogers lined a single to left to bring in Oaks for a 5-0 SCF lead.

Meanwhile on the mound, Stachowicz was put in a jam at the top of the third after giving up a leadoff triple, but with the defense behind her, the Manatees were able to prevent the Hawks from scoring with Denton throwing out the runner at home before sophomore Taylor Halback set up a strikeout/putout double play and catch the runner from stealing second.

The lead would increase to 6-0 SCF as Halback scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the third. After the fourth inning went scoreless, the Manatees would put the finishing touches on the game in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff double by Halback before advancing to third on a wild pitch, Rutherford would send a single to center and bring in Halback. After Rutherford stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, Rosenbaum would play the hero as she single to center to bring in Rutherford for the game-winner and seal the victory.

Stachowicz would improve to 3-0 after throwing a two-hit five inning shutout with two walks and six strikeouts. She was also 1-for-2 with a run.

"I felt really good," said Stachowicz. "I'm glad I let the adrenaline rush through and while I had a one rough inning, coach Mandy just told me to take a deep breath and that's what I did."

"Juli did super well on the mound today," said Schuerman on Stachowicz. "She pounded the zone where she needed to."

Miranda would fall to 1-4 after giving up five runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts in three innings. Sophomore Bailey Henderson gave up three runs on three hits with four walks in two and two-thirds innings of relief.

Rosenbaum would be the leader in hitting and offense as she finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs and two stolen bases. Rogers would round out the order with a multi-hit game of her own as she went 2-for-2 with two RBI, one walk and two stolen bases.

Halback (1-for-2, two runs and one walk), Denton (1-for-2, one run and one walk) and Rutherford (1-for-3, one RBI, one run and two stolen bases) had the remaining three hits, while Oaks (one run, one RBI and one stolen base) and freshman Ryleigh Bennett (one walk) also contributed.

Redshirt freshman Vanessa Neptune and sophomore Jayla Daoust had the Hawks lone two hits.

Game Two:

Schuerman sent Bennett (2-0, 2.28 ERA) to start game two while Hollman went with sophomore Baileigh Herrera.

The Hawks would end up taking the lead first at the top of the first thanks to an RBI single by Anouk Boontjes and a fielding error by the Manatess. The Manatees would respond in the bottom of the third as freshman Hailey Margetis would bring in sophomore Maddisan Noriega to cut the Hawks' lead to 2-1.

The Hawks would increase the lead to 5-1 at the top of the fourth as freshman Brooke Markiewicz would clear the bases with a three-run double.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would try to cut the deficit to a one-run game. After a lead single by sophomore Alissa Kessler and Rutherford reaching on a fielding error to put her and Kessler in scoring position, Rosenbaum would send a triple to deep left-center to bring in Kessler and Rutherford. Oaks would then send a double to left to bring in Rosenbaum to make it 5-4 HCC, but it would be all the Manatees could produce as the Hawks increased the lead to 7-4 after a two-run double by Boontjes before they sealed the second game.

Bennett would fall to 2-1 after giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits with three strikeouts in three innings while going 1-for-3 at the plate. Sophomore Brielle Bostow gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits with two strikeouts in two innings of relief while Rutherford threw two scoreless innings of relief with one hit and one strikeout.

Herrera would improve to 3-3 after throwing a complete game, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits with eight strikeouts.

Kessler would lead the way in hitting as she went 3-for-3 at the plate. Rosenbaum would round out the order in hitting as she finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run while finishing the doubleheader 5-for-8 with five RBI, three runs and two stolen bases.

"I felt pretty good," said Rosenbaum. "I felt confident being able to get the hit and get on base."

"Haley has been hitting like that all practice and she was a good leadoff for us," said Schuerman on Rosenbaum."

Oaks (1-for-3, one RBI and one stolen base) and Margetis (1-for-4, one RBI) had the remaining two hits.

Markiewicz lead the Hawks' offense as she went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

#3 Florida Southwestern (15-1, 2-0 Citrus) swept St. Pete (7-11, 0-2 Citrus) 7-4 and 10-0 (5).

#9 Central Florida (11-5, 2-0 Citrus) swept #10 Seminole State College of Florida (10-4, 0-2 Citrus) 9-2 and 9-0.

Santa Fe (11-6, 2-0 Citrus) swept Daytona State (7-7, 0-2 Citrus) 3-2 and 10-3.

Miami Dade (4-6, 2-0 Citrus) swept Polk State (6-6, 0-2 Citrus) 15-0 (5) and 6-3.

#5 Indian River State (14-1, 2-0 Citrus) swept #16 Eastern Florida State (15-3, 0-2 Citrus) 8-0 (5) and 6-1.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #3 Florida Southwestern (15-1, 2-0)

2. #5 Indian River State (14-1, 2-0)

3. #9 Central Florida (11-5, 2-0)

4. Santa Fe (11-6, 2-0)

5. Miami Dade (4-6, 2-0)

6. SCF (7-3, 1-1)

7. Hillsborough (6-7, 1-1)

8. #16 Eastern Florida State (15-3, 0-2)

9. #10 Seminole State College (10-4, 0-2)

10. Daytona State (7-7, 0-2)

11. Polk State (6-6, 0-2

12. St. Pete (7-11, 0-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees head on the road for conference as they travel to Daytona Beach to take on Daytona State for a doubleheader Thursday, February 29 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Baseball Set for Rematch With UTJV Before Daytona State

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (12-6, 3-3 Citrus) will look to continue to their rally for their next round of games this upcoming week. The Manatees will take a quick break from Citrus Conference the midweek as they travel to Tampa to take on the University of Tampa JV team (2-3) at the UT Baseball Field Tuesday night, February 27 at 6 pm before resuming Citrus Conference play against Daytona State College (9-8, 2-4 Citrus) for a three-game series. Game one will take place at Robert C. Wynn Field Thursday night, February 29 at 5 pm before the Manatees head to the DSC Baseball Complex Saturday afternoon, March 2 at 1 and 4 pm.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. Hillsborough (14-5, 5-1)

2. Florida Southwestern (13-6, 5-1)

3. Indian River State (11-5, 4-2)

4. Seminole State College of Florida (12-6, 3-3)

5. SCF (12-6, 3-3)

6. College of Central Florida (11-6, 3-3)

7. Santa Fe (12-7, 3-3)

8. Miami Dade (11-9, 3-3)

9. Daytona State (9-8, 2-4)

10. Eastern Florida State (9-9-1, 2-4)

11. Polk State (11-11, 2-4)

12. St. Pete (6-10, 1-5)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of winning their first series of Citrus Conference play against Polk State. They would win game one on the road by a score of 9-5. The series would then go to a doubleheader at Robert C. Wynn Field where they would split losing game one 3-2 before winning the rubber match by a score of 9-7. They are currently sit in a five-way tie for fourth place in conference, but are fifth overall.

BC Back in Control:

Sophomore Brandon Clarke had one of his best outings this season during game one against Polk State. Clarke is currently 2-1 with a 5.75 ERA, 10 walks and 35 strikeouts. During the game against Polk State, the Cary, North Carolina native threw five innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts in the game.

Wildcat Power:

Sophomore Jalen Hairston's batting has become a key part of the Manatees' offense. Hairston, who will be transferring to the University of Kentucky after the season, is currently batting .420 with 29 hits, 23 runs scored, four home runs and 23 RBI. In the rubber game against Polk State, Hairston went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. 

A Gust of Hitting:

Hairston is not the only player hitting a hot bat as freshman Hayden Gustavson and sophomore Santiago Ordonez have also swung the bat well.

Gustavson is currently batting .386 with 22 hits, 11 runs, one home run and 10 RBI. During game one against Polk State, Gustavson hit an inside-the-park home run for his first collegiate home run of the season.

Ordonez is batting .405 with 17 hits, 12 runs and four RBI. He went 6-for-8 in the doubleheader against Polk State with two RBI.

McPitching:

Another name on the mound that has been providing sparks is freshman Aidan McBride. McBride is 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA, five walks and 11 strikeouts so far from the mound. In his last outing, McBride pitched three scoreless innings with three strikeouts against Tampa JV.

Getting the Groove Back:

Sophomore Erick Almonte has been trying to get his groove back in the lineup after missing the first 15 games due to injury. Almonte is batting .375 with six hits so far.

Wild Rides:

Sophomores Luis Garrido, Preston Wetherell, LT Cockrill, Ed Wagner and Bryan Gomez and freshmen Palmer O'Beirne, Luke Boykin, Allan Gil-Fernandez, Pip Smalley, Dylan DeLeo, Trevor Zeigler and Walker Vanecek play as the wildcards for the Manatees.

Garrido is currently batting .271 with 19 hits, 17 runs and five RBI.

Wetherell, one of a few hybrid players, is batting .250 with nine hits and four RBI at the plate, while on the mound he is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, six walks and 10 strikeouts. In his last outing, Wetherell threw two and two-third scoreless innings of relief with five strikeouts for the rubber game win over Polk State.

Cockrill is batting .250 with six hits and three RBI.

Wagner is 2-2 with a 3.24 ERA, 12 walks and 25 strikeouts.

Gomez is 1-0 on the mound with a 4.11 ERA, 15 walks and 24 strikeouts.

O'Beirne leads all pitchers in wins as he is 3-0 with a 3.97 ERA, seven walks and 16 strikeouts.

Boykin is batting .258 with 17 hits, one home run and 18 RBI. He brought the go-ahead runs to help win the rubber game against Polk State.

Gil-Fernandez, despite struggling briefly, is batting .329 with 24 hits, two home runs and 26 RBI.

Smalley is batting .349 with 15 hits, one home run and eight RBI.

DeLeo is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA, five walks and four strikeouts.

Ziegler is 0-1 with a 6.19 ERA, one save, 13 walks and 16 strikeouts. He threw a four inning save in the game one win over Polk State.

Vanecek is batting .310 with nine hits, one home run and 12 RBI.

Scouting Tampa JV:

The Spartans are coming off of a 5-1 loss to Rollins College JV. They played the Manatees earlier in the season losing by a score of 7-0.

Scouting Daytona State:

The Falcons are coming off of winning their first series in Citrus Conference against Santa Fe. They would game one by a score of 13-9 before they split a doubleheader losing the first game 5-1 and wining the second game 9-7. They are currently in a three-way tie for ninth place in conference.

At the plate, sophomore Xavier Lopez leads the way batting .375 with 21 hits, two home runs and 19 RBI.

On the mound, Austin Harford leads the way on the mound going 2-2 with a 7.20 ERA, four walks and 16 strikeouts.

Possible Starting Matchups:

SCF vs UTJV: McBride (1-0, 4.35 ERA) vs TBD

SCF vs Daytona State:

Game One - Brandon Clarke (2-1, 5.73 ERA) vs Clay Hendry (2-1, 10.93 ERA)

Game Two - Wagner (2-2, 3.25 ERA) vs Austin Harford (2-2, 7.20 ERA)

Game Three - TBD vs Chase Booth (1-1, 7.71 ERA)

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided for the all the games. The game vs Tampa JV will air on the Sunshine State Conference Network. Game one against Daytona will will air on the SCF Sports Network, while games two and three will air on the Daytona State College Athletics page via Team1Sports. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Livestats Link - https://web.gc.com/teams/wbkG6N4UTmsV/2024-spring-state-college-of-florida

SCF vs UTJV Livestream Link - https://sunshinestateconference.tv/tampa/

SCF vs Daytona State Livestream Link -  https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/

SCF @ Daytona State Livestream Link - https://www.team1sports.com/college/?S=daytonastate

SCF Softball Ready for Conference Play

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (6-2) look to keep their winning ways in session as they prepare for their first taste of Citrus Conference play. The Manatees will welcome Hillsborough (5-6) to the SCF Softball Complex for a doubleheader Tuesday night, February 27 at 5 and 7 pm to open Citrus Conference play.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a split at the Courtney Miller Invitational in Longwood on Sunday where they fell to Chipola College by a score of 6-4 before defeating Gulf Coast State College 7-3.

Heartbreaking Needs for Speed:

On the basepaths, sophomores Stephanie Oaks and Haley Rosenbaum lead the way for the Manatees for stealing.

Oaks is currently batting .333 with eight hits, eight runs, two RBI and 12 stolen bases. She had two stolen bases at the CMI Invitational.

Rosenbaum is currently batting .667 with six hits, one home run, four RBI, seven runs and 10 stolen bases. In the game against Gulf Coast State, the Mayo native had five stolen bases.

Liv Free and Hit Hardcore:

Freshman Olivia Rogers has improved her batting average after February 8. Rogers is currently batting .389 with seven hits, two home runs and five RBI. At the CMI, the Delaware native went 4-for-7 with a home run and three RBI.

Rogers is not the only player hitting hard as classmate Hailey Margetis is also hitting the hot bat lately. Margetis is currently batting .471 with eight hits, one home run and six RBI.

Local Hybrid Rampage:

Freshman Ryleigh Bennett has played a key role as a hybrid player on the mound and at the plate. Bennett is batting .533 with eight hits and three RBI, while on the mound she is 1-0 with a 2.74 ERA, five walks and seven strikeouts. At the CMI, the product from Sarasota High went 4-for-7 with an RBI while earning the win over Gulf Coast State after throwing six innings with two strikeouts.

Jetting Along:

Bennett is not the only hybrid player playing a key role as freshman Julianna Stachowicz has also played a key part. Stachowicz is currently batting .625 with five hits and five RBI while on the mound she is 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA, four walks and 16 strikeouts. In her last outing, the Ohioan threw a scoreless inning of relief against Gulf Coast State.

Wild Ones:

Redshirt sophomore Jordan O'Brien and sophomores Karsyn Rutherford, Brielle Bostow, Alissa Kessler, Janessa Benavides and Maddisan Noriega play as the wild cards of the group.

O'Brien is currently batting .300 with three hits and three RBI.

Rutherford is currently 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA, four walks and six strikeouts.

Bostow is 1-1 with a 7.45 ERA, seven walks and nine strikeouts.

Kessler is batting .474 with six hits and one RBI.

Benavides is batting .385 with five hits and four RBI.

Noriega is batting .250 with five hits and three RBI.

Scouting Hillsborough:

The Hawks are coming off of being swept by North Idaho College by scores of 13-3 and 14-10. They enter the beginning of conference on a five-game losing streak. They have not won since February 10.

On the mound, sophomore Baileigh leads the way going 2-3 with a 3.50 ERA, 10 walks and 14 strikeouts.

At the plate, freshman Sonae Simmons leads the team in hitting as she is batting .343 with 12 hits and four RBI. Redshirt freshman Vanessa Neptune, a former SCF Manatee, is leading the offense batting .294 with 10 hits and six RBI.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and will livestream on the SCF Sports Network. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on social media platforms.

Livestats Link: https://web.gc.com/teams/i23lUaOZpGKA/2024-spring-state-college-of-florida/live

Livestream Link: https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/

Social Media Links:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFManatees

X - https://twitter.com/SCFSoftball

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scfsoftball/

SCF Softball Splits in Longwood

Longwood, Fla - The SCF softball team (6-2) played one of their most challenging doubleheaders on the road as they split at the Courtney Miller Invitational in Longwood. The Manatees fell to Chipola College (13-8) by a score of 6-4 before defeating Gulf Coast State (17-4) 7-3.

"We were a little rusty after not playing for two weeks and came out flat when we played Chipola," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "While they did take advantage of that, we still outhit them statistically. We're looking to bring constant energy and make routine plays for when open up in conference."

"I thought we did well making adjustments early at the plate and did a good job staying engaged in the second game after starting off slow in the first game," said freshman Ryleigh Bennett. "When we face Hillsborough, the focus will be opening the game with big energy and staying engaged throughout both games."

SCF vs Chipola:

Schuerrman sent sophomore Brielle Bostow (1-0, 5.73 ERA) to start game one while Chipola head coach Kelly Brookins went freshman Hannah Worthington (5-1, 3.77 ERA) to counter.

The Manatees would try to open early on the board first at the top of the first as freshman Olivia Rogers hit a two-out solo home run to left for her second of the season. The Indians would respond back as freshman Hannah Capps would tie the game at 1-1 with an RBI single.

After the second inning went scoreless, the Indians would take the lead in the bottom of the third after sophomore Amari Brown would score on a wild pitch. The lead would increase for the Indians in the bottom of the fourh as sophomore Hannah Bibbs scored on a wild pitch before Brown and freshman EmmaLee Essary hit back-to-back RBI groundouts to make it 5-1 Chipola before sophomrore Gracie Suggs would make it 6-1 with an RBI groundout.

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees would try to pull together a rally beginning with Rogers leadoff triple before scoring on a wild pitch. After Bennett (single), sophomore Alissa Kessler (walk) and freshmen Lydia Denton (hit by a pitch) loaded the bases, sophomore Janessa Benavides would hit into a fielder's choice while Kessler was called out at home. One batter later, sophomore Maddisan Noriega would draw a bases loaded walk to bring in Ly. Denton to cut the lead to 6-3.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would give it one more try to stay alive as freshman Hailey Margetis would hit a single and score on a wild pitch, but it would be all the Manatees could produce as the Indians took the game.

Bostow would fall to 1-1 after giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts in three innings. Sophomore Karsyn Rutherford gave up two runs on tow hits with one walk in three innings or relief.

Worthington would improve to 6-1 after throwing a complete game, giving up two runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Freshman Josefina LaCalle gave up one run on two hits with one walk in no innings of relief.

Rogers would lead the way in hitting as she finished 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Bennett would round out the order batting 2-for-4 at the plate.

Margetis (1-for-3, one run and one walk) and sophomore Stephanie Oaks (1-for-3) had the remaining two hits, while Kessler (one walk), Ly. Denton (one run), Noriega (one RBI and one walk) and freshman Saremi Flores (one walk) also contributed in the game.

Capps lead the Indians in hitting as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

SCF vs Gulf Coast State:

Looking to bounce back from the loss, Schuerman went with Bennett to start game two while Gulf Coast head coach Scot Thomas went with freshman Maddie Vaughn (1-1, 12.00 ERA).

The Manatees, who were the home team, opened on the board first beginning with sophomore Haley Rosenbaum getting hit by a pitch and stealing second before Oaks drew a walk. After Rosenbaum and Oaks committed a double steal, both runners would take advantage of throwing error by the catcher and score to make it 2-0 SCF.

In tbe bottom of the second, the Manatees would extend the lead further beginning with Denton being by a pitch before moving to second on a groundout and then to third on a Rosenbaum. Denton and Rosenbaum would successfully attempt a double steal with Ly. Denton scoring and Rosenbaum stealing second and then third. After Oaks drew a walk, the duo would once again commit a third double steal with Rosenbaum stealing home and Oaks stealing second to make it 4-0 SCF.

At the top of the third, the Lady Commodores would get on the board as they took advantage of a Manatee fielding error, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half of the inning as Bennett would send a single to left to bring in redshirt sophomore Jordan O'Brien, who pinch ran for Kessler, and made it 5-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees would their final runs on the board. After Rutherford and Oaks  drew walks with Rutherford stealing second and advancing to third on a flyout, Rogers would line a triple to right-center to bring in Rutherford and Oaks and make it 7-1 SCF.

At the top of the sixth, the Lady Commodores add their final runs of the game after a sacrifice fly by sophomore Fallin Jordan and an RBI single by classmate Rachel Lee, but Bennett was able to get out of the sixth before freshman Julianna Stachowicz closed the door at the top of the seventh to seal the win for the Manatees.

Bennett would improve to 1-0 after giving up three runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six innings, while going 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate. Stachowicz would throw one scoreless inning of relief.

"I just went up with confidence and trusting my spin which produce a lot of ground ball opportunities for outs," said Bennett. "At the plate, I focused on getting the pitch I was looking for early and just hitting through the ball."

Vaughn would fall to 1-3 after giving up four runs on three hits with two walks and one strikeout in one and two-thirds innings.

While Bennett lead the way in hitting, Rogers lead the way offensively as she went 1-for-3 with two RBI.

On the basepaths, Rosenbaum lead the way as she went 1-for-3 with two runs and five stolen bases, while Oaks drew three walks with two runs and two stolen bases.

Kessler (1-for-2, one walk) had the remaining hit, while Ly. Denton (one run and one stolen base), Rutherford (one run and one stolen base), O'Brien (one run and one stolen base) and freshman Lilah Denton (one stolen base) also contributed in the game.

Lee lead the Lady Commodores offensively as she went 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Up Next:

The Manatees return home to the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome Hillsborough (5-6) Tuesday night, February 27 at 5 and 7 pm.

SCF Baseball Splits with Polk State For Series Win

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (12-6, 3-3 Citrus) were able to take their first series in Citrus Conference play as they split with Polk State (11-11, 2-4 Citrus) in a doubleheader losing the first game 3-2 before winning game two 9-7.

"The first game was a little heartbreaking for us," said head coach Tim Hill II. "While Ed (Wagner) and Daniel (Hartley) threw good games, we left a lot of runners on base. I'm glad we won the second game, even with a few miscues and a lot of walks thrown. I give credit to the guys for battling back to win the series."

"It was definitely a good team win to take the series over Polk State," said freshman Luke Boykin. "I did feel like a lot of things were going their way, but it was good to see us battle back in the end of the second game."

"We went through a lot of adversity," said sophomore Preston Wetherell. "But I thought we all came together as a team and battled our butts off."

"We went through a lot of adversity," said sophomore Santiago Ordonez. "In the end we were able to pull off the win."

Game One:

Hill II sent sophomore Ed Wagner (2-1, 3.15 ERA) to start game one for the Manatees while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil went with freshman JT Long (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to counter.

The first three innings were a pitcher's duel between Wagner and Long as both put together a combined nine strikeouts. At the top of the fourth, the Eagles would eventually buckle Wagner as freshman Evan Wainman would hit an RBI single. Two innings later, freshman Daniel Hartley would come in for Wagner for relief before the Eagles extended the lead to 3-0 after a Manatee fielding error and another Wainman RBI single.

In the bottom half of the sixth, the Manatees would cut the lead to one run beginning with a back-to-back singles by Ordonez and freshman Hayden Gustavson. After sophomore Luis Garrido grounded into a fielder's choice, Boykin would send a double to left to bring in Ordonez before Garrido was called out trying to reach third. Sophomore LT Cockrill would then single to right to bring in Boykin to make it 3-2 Polk State.

The Manatees would try to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, but to no avail as the Eagles took the first game.

Wagner would fall to 2-2 after giving up three runs (one earned) on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in five innings. Hartley threw two scoreless innings of relief with one strikeouts.

Long would improve to 1-0 after throwing four scoreless inning, giving up three hits with five strikeouts. Sophomore Ryan Combs would earn the save after giving up two runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in three innings of relief.

Both Ordonez and Gustavson went 3-for-4 at the plate with Ordonez adding a run.

Cockrill (1-for-3) and Boykin (1-for-4) each had one hit and one RBI with Boykin adding a run.

Sophomores Erick Almonte (1-for-3, one walk and one stolen base) and Jalen Hairston (1-for-3, one walk) had the remaining two hits, while freshman Devan Meran (one stolen base) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, Wainman lead the way in hitting and offense as he finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Game Two:

Looking to take the rubber match, Hill II sent sophomore Liam Best (1-2, 7.50 ERA) to the mound, while Corbeil went with freshman Wade Johnson (1-2, 2.40 ERA).

Similar to the first game, the first three innings were completely scoreless with Best having the advantage in strikeouts. Corbeil would then make a change in the bottom of the second and send sophomore Trevor Caldwell for three innings.

At the top of the fourth, Best would sustain an injury after throwing a walk. This would have Hill II pull him and send freshman Palmer O'Beirne to the mound. After the pitching change, the Eagles would take the lead as redshirt sophomore Kelsen Johnson would hit an RBI single before sophomore Roberto Odor would bring in a run with a suicide squeeze play to make it 2-0 Polk State. 

One inning later, sophomore Aaron Stelogiannis would bring in a run with a bases loaded walk, but the Manatees would not endure being shutout in the bottom of the fifth as Hairston would send a solo home run to right for his fourth of the season.

At the top of the sixth, the Eagles would increase the lead to 5-1 after an RBI single by sophomore Aris Rivera and a base loaded walk by Wainman before extending the lead to 7-1 after they scored on a Manatee fielding error and an RBI single by freshman Liam O'Neil at the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Manatees decided to start a rally. After Gustavson drew a two-out walk and freshman Allan Gil-Fernandez hit a double to put runners in scoring position, Ordonez would showoff his bat and send a double to left-center to bring in Gustavson and Gil-Fernandez to make it 7-3 still in Polk State's favor.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Manatees would put together a strong rally to try and take the lead beginning with a leadoff pinch hit single by freshman James Asmus. After a strikeout, Hairston would send a double to right-center to bring in Asmus while he advanced to third on the throw. This would have Corbeil send sophomore Damion Kenealy to come in from first base to pitch.

After the pitching change, Gustavson and Gil-Fernandez would draw back-to-back walks to load the bases for Ordonez and on a 2-1 count, the Florida State would reach first on a fielding error while Hairston scored. With the bases still loaded, freshman Walker Vanecek would give the Manatees the chance they were looking for as he grounded a single to left to bring in Gustavson and Gil-Fernandez to tie the game at 7-7. After a groundout to move the runners to scoring position, Boykin would go into a full count and send a double to deep left to bring in Ordonez and Vanecek to make it 9-7 SCF. 

"I was trying to keep it simple," said Boykin on the go-ahead hit. "In the at-bat before, I thought I did too much, so I hit it down the middle and it worked out."

From there, Wetherell would shut the door at the top of the ninth and seal the series win for the Manatees.

Best and Johnson would both end up with a no-decision. Best would give up one run on two hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in three and a third innings, while Johnson threw one and two-third scoreless innings with one hit, four walks and three strikeouts.

Wetherell would earn the win after throwing two and two-third scoreless innings of relief with one hit and a career-high five strikeouts.

"When I came in and we were down, I knew there was nothing to lose," said Wetherell. "I just came in throwing strikes and I knew I had the team was behind me and it went my way"

"I thought Preston was our player of the game in the second game," said Hill II on Wetherell. "He really gave us a moment of light on the mound."

Kenealy would be hit with the loss after giving up four runs (one earned) on two hits with two walks in two-thirds of an inning of relief. He was also 2-for-4 with two runs.

Ordonez would lead the way in hitting as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run and one walk in game two and finished 6-for-8 in the series. Hairston would finish 2-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and one walk.

"I felt really good," said Ordonez. "All I was trying to do was get the next man up and it worked out."

Vanecek (1-for-4, two RBI, one run and one walk), Boykin (1-for-5, two RBI), Gustavson (1-for-2, two runs and two walks), Gil-Fernandez (1-for-4, two runs and one walk), Garrido (1-for-4, one walk) and Asmus (1-for-2, one run) had the remaining six hits, while Almonte (one walk), O'Beirne (two-thirds of an inning of relief), sophomores Jayce Blalock (two walks) and Bryan Gomez (two innings of relief with three strikeouts) and freshman Dylan DeLeo (one-third inning of relief) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, aside from Kenealy's hits, O'Neil would finish 2-for-4 with an RBI and one walk.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Seminole State College of Florida (12-6, 3-3 Citrus) split a doubleheader with Miami Dade (11-9, 3-3 Citrus) winning game one 10-0 in five innings before losing game two 10-0.

Eastern Florida State (9-9-1, 2-4 Citrus) pulled off an upset sweep over College of Central Florida (11-6, 3-3 Citrus) winning by scores of 8-3 and 5-2.

Santa Fe (12-7, 3-3 Citrus) split with Daytona State (9-8, 2-4 Citrus) winning game one 5-1 before losing game two 9-7.

Indian River State (11-5, 4-2 Citrus) split with Florida Southwestern (13-6, 5-1 Citrus) winning game one 3-2 before losing game two 6-3.

Hillsborough (14-5, 5-1 Citrus) split with St. Pete (6-10, 1-5 Citrus) losing game one 8-2 before winning game two 11-5.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. Hillsborough (14-5, 5-1)

2. Florida Southwestern (13-6, 5-1)

3. Indian River State (11-5, 4-2)

4. Seminole State College of Florida (12-6, 3-3)

5. SCF (12-6, 3-3)

6. College of Central Florida (11-6, 3-3)

7. Santa Fe (12-7, 3-3)

8. Miami Dade (11-9, 3-3)

9. Daytona State (9-8, 2-4)

10. Eastern Florida State (9-9-1, 2-4)

11. Polk State (11-11, 2-4)

12. St. Pete (6-10, 1-5)

Up Next:

The Manatees will take another break from Citrus Conference play as they travel to Tampa to play the University of Tampa JV team (2-2) at the UT Baseball Field Tuesday night, February 27 at 6 pm.

SCF Baseball Takes Win Over Polk State

Winter Haven, Fla - Sophomore Brandon Clarke’s strong outing on the mound helped pave the way for the SCF baseball team (11-5, 2-2 Citrus) as they defeated Polk State (10-10, 1-3 Citrus) 9-5 at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven. 

“I thought the guys came ready to play today,” said head coach Tim Hill II. “When we scored off the bat, I thought the energy and focus was good. We challenged our guys to not take these conference games for granted and they showed that didn't take it for granted. While we were a little sloppy on the defensive side, the guys pulled it together.”

“The hitting and pitching were timely,” said freshman Pip Smalley. “You do that, you win games.”

“We were able to pick each other up and help Brandon [Clarke] get through the game and pick up some big hits,” said freshman Hayden Gustavson. “It was good win overall.”

Hill II gave Clarke the nod to start the game while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil went with sophomore Aiden Butler (3-0, 2.21 ERA) to counter.

The top of the first inning saw the Manatees on the scoreboard beginning with a lead off single by sophomore Erick Almonte before classmate Jalen Hairston sent a double to center to get the first run on the board. After Hairston stole third, Smalley would send a single to left to bring in Hairston for a 2-0 SCF.

While Clarke was able to breeze through the first, the Eagles rattled him in the bottom of the second as sophomore Evan Wainman would hit an RBI single before redshirt sophomore Kelen Johnson tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI groundout. Clarke was able to escape the inning with two strikeouts to end the second.

The Manatees would regain the lead at the top of the third as Smalley would hit another RBI single to the right to bring in Hairston to make it 3-2 SCF. They would increase the lead to 4-2 at the top of the fourth as freshman Luke Boykin would send a double to center to bring in sophomore Luis Garrido. 

The Eagles would cut the Manatees lead to 4-3 after an RBI single by freshman Nicholas Upperman in the bottom of the fourth, but it would only stir the Manatees’ bat at the top of the fifth as Smalley would send a leadoff solo home run to center for his first collegiate home run.

“I was trying to see something up and the pitcher (Butler) was throwing a lot of curveballs,” said Smalley on his first home run. “Once I saw him throw a fastball up I was lucky enough to hit one off the barrel.”

Meanwhile, Clarke remained steadfast and calm in the bottom of the fifth as the upcoming South Carolina transfer would regain control of his curveball and strike out the side.

Hill II would then send freshman Trevor Ziegler to the mound to come in for Clarke in the sixth and despite putting two runners on base, the Cincinnati transfer was able to get out of the inning.

At the top of the seventh, with Smalley and sophomore Santiago Ordonez on base, Gustavson would give the Manatees another offensive spark as the Lake City native would send a line drive to left past the left fielder and put on some speed as he hustled all the way home for a three-run inside the park home run for his first collegiate home run to make it 8-3 SCF.

“It was definitely a unique way for me to get my first home run,” said Gustavson on his first home run. “I couldn't have had it any other way. I needed to break away and it paid off to give us a big lead.”

The Eagles would put a run in the bottom of the seventh after a Manatee fielding error to make it 8-4 still in favor of the Manatees.

At the top of the ninth, the Manatees would their final run of the game as Boykin would bring in Gustavson with an RBI single. The Eagles would score in the bottom half of the inning as sophomore Damion Kenealy would hit an RBI double, but it would be all they could produce as the Manatees sealed the victory.

"We battled through even when we had to face that tough wall in the second inning, but I was able to help the team," said Clarke. "The guys had my back when I was struggling a little bit and I was able to find my groove and we pulled it together."

Clarke would improve to 2-1 after giving up three runs on four hits with two walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts in five innings. Ziegler would give up two runs (one earned) on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four innings of relief.

“I tried to fill the zone and had a solid first inning,” said Clarke on his game. “When I hit the wall in the second inning I started to fall behind, but the team had my back and my confidence was rejuvinated for the last three innings.”

“Brandon does good things every time he goes out on the mound,” said Hill II on Clarke. “While he did run into a little bit of trouble in the second inning, but when he started his breaking ball for a strike early, Polk State didn't have a chance.”

Butler would fall to 3-1 after giving up five runs on nine hits with three walks and six strikeouts in five innings.

Four Manatees had a multi-hit game. It was Smalley and Almonte that lead the way in hitting as they each had four hits. Smalley (4-for-4) added three RBI, two runs and a walk, while Almonte (4-for-5) added two runs and a walk.

Hairston and Boykin rounded out the other as they both went 2-for-5. Hairston added one RBI, one run, one walk and one stolen base, while Boykin added two RBI

Gustavson finished behind Smalley in offense as he went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI while Garrido had the remaining hit as he went 1-for-4 with a run and Ordonez (one run and two walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, Kenealy and Wainman each had two hits in the game.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Hillsborough (13-4, 4-0 Citrus) defeated St. Pete (5-9, 0-4 Citrus) 8-6.

Florida Southwestern (12-5, 4-0 Citrus) defeated Indian River State (10-4, 3-1 Citrus) 13-12 in 12 innings.

Miami Dade (10-8, 2-2 Citrus) shutout Seminole State (11-5, 2-2 Citrus) 10-0 in five innings via mercy rule.

Central Florida (13-4, 3-1 Citrus) defeated Eastern Florida State (7-9-1, 0-4 Citrus) 13-12.

Daytona State (8-7, 1-3 Citrus) defeated Santa Fe (11-6, 2-2  Citrus) 13-9

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. Hillsborough (13-4, 4-0)

2. Florida Southwestern (12-5, 4-0)

3. Central Florida (11-4, 3-1)

4. Indian River State (10-4, 3-1)

5. Seminole State (11-5, 2-2)

6. SCF (11-5, 2-2)

7. Santa Fe (11-6, 2-2)

8. Miami Dade (10-8, 2-2)

9. Daytona State (8-7, 1-3)

10. Polk State (10-10, 1-3)

11. Eastern Florida State (7-9-1, 0-4)

12. St. Pete (5-9, 0-4)

Up Next:

The Manatees will resume their series with Polk State as they welcome them to Robert C. Wynn Field for a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, February 24 at 1 and 4 pm. Sophomore Ed Wagner (3-1, 3.15 ERA) will start game one, while classmate Liam Best (1-2, 7.50 ERA) will start game two.

SCF Baseball Readies for Polk State

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (10-5, 1-2 Citrus) will look to resume Citrus Conference play on the winning side of things. The Manatees will face Polk State (10-9, 1-2 Citrus) for their next three games as they will first open at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven Thursday night, February 22 at 6 pm before returning back to Robert C. Wynn Field for a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, February 24 at 1 and 4 pm.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. Indian River State (10-3, 3-0)

2. Hillsborough (12-4, 3-0)

3. Florida Southwestern (11-5, 3-0)

4. Seminole State (11-4, 2-1)

5. Central Florida (10-4, 2-1)

6. Santa Fe (11-5, 2-1)

7. SCF (10-5, 1-2)

8. Polk State (10-9, 1-2)

9. Miami Dade (8-8, 1-2)

10. Daytona State (7-7, 0-3)

11. Eastern Florida (7-8-1, 0-3)

12. St. Pete (5-8, 0-3)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a 7-0 shutout win over the University of Tampa JV team. It was their first shutout of the season. Currently, the Manatees are tied for seventh place with Polk State, but are ahead of them due to their overall record.

Likely Pitching Matchups:

Game One - Brandon Clarke (1-1, 6.46 ERA) vs Aiden Butler (3-0, 2.21 ERA)

Game Two - Ed Wagner (2-1, 3.15 ERA) vs Evan Koehler (0-3, 5.49 ERA)

Game Three - Liam Best (1-2, 7.50 ERA) vs Trevor Caldwell (2-2, 3.71 ERA)

The RBI Machines:

Sophomore Jalen Hairston and freshman Allan Gil-Fernadez continue to lead the way offensively for the Manatees.

Hairston is coming off of a four-hit game against UTJV with a home run and four RBI. The upcoming transfer for the University of Kentucky is currenlty batting .421 with 24 hits, 20 runs, three home runs and 20 RBI.

Gil-Fernandez, who is ranked #1 in the state in RBI, is currently batting .411 with 23 hits, two home runs and 26 RBI. He 2-for-4 with an RBI against UTJV.

Wagging the Pitches:

Sophomore Ed Wagner has improved exponentially on the mound so far this season. Wagner, who will be transferring to the University of North Carolina - Charlotte, is currently 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA, eight walks and 20 strikeouts. In his last outing on the mound, Wagner threw a seven inning complete game with eight strikeouts in the win over Seminole State.

Welcome Back:

Sophomore Erick Almonte, who missed the first 15 games of the season due to injury, made his anticipated season debut against UTJV as he went 1-for-4 with two runs and a walk. The upcoming transfer for the University of Central Florida finished his first season batting .317 with 65 hits, two home runs, 39 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 44 walks. His 44 walks ranked top 50 in the nation.

Wild n Ready:

Sophomores Brandon Clarke, Bryan Gomez, Luis Garrido, Santiago Ordonez and LT Cockrill and freshmen Aidan McBride, Hayden Gustavson, Pip Smalley, Luke Boykin, Walker Vanecek, Dylan DeLeo and Palmer O'Beirne continue their part as wild cards.

Clarke is currently 1-1 with 6.46 ERA, eight walks and 24 strikeouts.

Gomez is 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA, 10 walks and 21 strikeouts. He threw one inning of relief with two strikeouts.

Garrido is batting .293 with 17 hits, 16 runs and five RBI.

Ordonez is batting .355 with 11 hits and two RBI.

Cockrill is batting .286 with six hits and two RBI. He went 2-for-2 at the plate his last outing.

McBride is 1-0 with a 4.46 ERA, one save, five walks and 11 strikeouts. He threw three scoreless innings with four strikeouts for a no-decision over UTJV.

Gustavson is batting .348 with 16 hits and seven RBI.

Smalley is batting .297 with 11 hits and five RBI.

Boykin is batting .250 with 13 hits, one home run and 14 RBI.

Vanecek is batting .333 with eight hits, one home run and 10 RBI.

DeLeo is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, three walks and four strikeouts. In the game against UTJV, he threw two scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts.

O'Beirne is 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA, five walks and 16 strikeouts.

Scouting Polk State:

The Eagles are coming off of a 10-1 win over Webber International University JV team. They started their portion of Citrus Conference play where they fell 2-1 in the series against Santa Fe winning game one 6-4 before losing games two and three by scores of 6-1 and 8-1.

On the mound, sophomore Aiden Butler leads the way on the mound as he is 3-0 with a 2.21 ERA, three walks and 26 strikeouts.

At the plate, sophomore Evan Wainman leads the overall offense batting .281 with 16 hits, one home run and 15 RBI.

Series History:

Overall, the Manatees are 72-40 against the Eagles and last season, the Manatees took the series 6-2.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and will air livestream. Game one will air on Polk State's Sports Network, while games two and three will air on the SCF Sports Network. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Livestats Link - https://web.gc.com/teams/wbkG6N4UTmsV/2024-spring-state-college-of-florida

Game One Link - https://www.team1sports.com/college/?S=polkeagles

Game Two and Three Link -  https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/

Social Media:

X - https://twitter.com/SCFBaseball

SCF Baseball Shuts Out UTJV

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (10-5, 1-2 Citrus) were able to bounce back in non-conference play as they shutout the University of Tampa JV 7-0 at Robert C. Wynn Field. 

"It was good to see the guys play well on our field," said head coach Tim Hill II. "I thought it was a well-rounded game for them, but anytime they throw a shutout, you have to feel good about it. We have really battle tested since the beginning of the season was on the road majorly. It was nice getting back on top."

"Our hitting was very timely and really helped set the tone," said sophomore Jalen Hairston. "We did pretty well."

"It was pretty good day," said sophomore Erick Almonte. "The pitchers and hitters did really well and we won the game, which was all that matters."

"I thought we did well as a team," said freshman Dylan DeLeo. "I thought the pitching was good even if we put runners on base, we still were able to not let them score."

Hill II sent freshman Aidan McBride (1-0, 6.14 ERA) to the mound, while Tampa JV head coach Mark Johnson went with graduate student Christian Morel to counter.

After McBride breezed through the top of the first, the Manatees would get on the board in the bottom half of the inning. After Almonte drew a leadoff walk, Hairston would send a towering shot over the right field fence for his third home run of the season.

One inning later, the Manatees would extend their lead in the bottom of the second beginning with a leadoff walk by sophomore Jayce Blalock. After classmate LT Cockrill drew a walk of his own before they moved into scoring position, Blalock would take a moment and score on a wild pitch before Hairston would send a single to center to bring in Cockrill for a 4-0.

After McBride breezed through the third, DeLeo would come in for his second appearance in an SCF uniform as he was able to strike out two batters at the top of the fourth. He would work himself out of a jam with two runners and strikeout two more batters.

The pitching scene for change again for the Manatees as freshman Gavyn Bowen would come in at the top of the sixth and despite putting two runners on, Bowen was able to breeze through the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would make it 5-0 after Cockrill, who reached with a single and advanced to third on a Hairston single, scored on a wild pitch.

At the top of the seventh, Hill II would then send sophomore Bryan Gomez to take over and despite putting two runners on, the New Yorker would get out of the inning. Sophomore Preston Wetherell would then come in at the top of the eighth and breeze through the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Manatees would add their final runs on the board. After Almonte reached first on a fielder's choice and stole second, Hairston would send a double to right in 'Carol's Corner' and send Almonte home before freshman Allan Gil-Fernandez would hit a double of his own to left to bring in Hairston and make it 7-0 SCF. From there, freshman Pip Smalley would come in for the ninth inning and seal the deal for the Manatees.

McBride would earn a no-decision after throwing three hitless innings with two walks and three strikeouts. DeLeo would earn his first collegiate win after throwing two scoreless innings of relief with two walks and four strikeouts.

"I thought I did good," said DeLeo. "While my command on the fastball wasn't the best, my curveball really helped set the tone."

Morel would be hit with the loss after giving up four runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts in two innings.

Three Manatees would have a multi-hit game. It was Hairston that would lead the way in hitting and offense as he went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, four RBI and one stolen base. In fact, he was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

"I felt good at the plate," said Hairston. "I was just coming in ready to hit out of the box and I was ready in my hitter's time."

"Jalen is one of our best players and he had a really good night," said Hill II on Hairston.

Cockrill (2-for-2) and Gil-Fernandez (2-for-4) rounded out the order with two hits each. Cockrill added two runs, while Gil Fernandez added one RBI and one walk.

Almonte, who missed the first 14 games of the season due to injury, went 1-for-4 with two runs scored, one walk and one stolen base.

"While I did feel a little sloppy, it didn't matter because I was happy to play in my first game this season," said Almonte on his debut. "Now I can focus on Polk State"

Sophomore Luis Garrido (1-for-3, one stolen base) had the remaining hit, while Blalock (one run and one walk), Smalley (one inning of relief with one strikeout), Wetherell (one inning of relief with one walk and one strikeout), Gomez (one inning of relief with two strikeouts) and Bowen (one inning of relief with one walk and one strikeout) also contributed in the game.

For the Spartans, junior Aidan Wallace lead the way in hitting as he finished 2-for-3 with two walks.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Seminole State College of Florida (11-4, 2-1 Citrus) defeated Community College of Baltimore County - Catonsville (0-2) 4-3 and 6-4 in a doubleheader.

Eastern Florida State (7-8-1, 0-3 Citrus) fell to Lake Sumter State (5-9-1) by a score of 5-3.

Florida Southwestern (11-5, 3-0 Citrus) defeated Palm Beach State (9-3) 15-2.

Polk State (10-9, 1-2 Citrus) defeated Webber International JV 10-1.

Hillsborough (12-4, 3-0 Citrus) defeated Pasco Hernando (5-9) 5-3.

Santa Fe (11-5, 2-1 Citrus) fell to St. John's River State (11-6) by a score of 8-5.

Daytona State (7-7, 0-3 Citrus) defeated Rollins College JV 4-2.

Miami Dade (9-8) defeated Elite Squad Academy 6-5.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. Indian River State (10-3, 3-0)

2. Hillsborough (12-4, 3-0)

3. Florida Southwestern (11-5, 3-0)

4. Seminole State (11-4, 2-1)

5. Central Florida (10-4, 2-1)

6. Santa Fe (11-5, 2-1)

7. SCF (10-5, 1-2)

8. Polk State (10-9, 1-2)

9. Miami Dade (8-8, 1-2)

10. Daytona State (7-7, 0-3)

11. Eastern Florida (7-8-1, 0-3)

12. St. Pete (5-8, 0-3)

Up Next:

The Manatees will resume Citrus Conference play as they face Polk State for the next three games. They will first travel to Winter Haven to play at Bing Tyus Yard Thursday night, February 22 at 6 pm before turning back to Robert C. Wynn Field Saturday afternoon, February 24 at 1 and 4 pm.

Sophomore Brandon Clarke (1-1, 6.46 ERA) will start game one in Winter Haven while classmates Ed Wagner (2-1, 3.15 ERA) and Liam Best (1-2, 7.50 ERA) will be given the nods for games two and three.