SCF Baseball Splits with CF in Walkoff Fashion

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (21-17, 10-11 Citrus) pulled off a big walkoff in part of their doubleheader against Central Florida (21-16, 10-11 Citrus) losing game one 5-2 before winning game two 16-15.

"This has been a big struggle for this group this season," said head coach Tim Hill II. "We really shot ourselves in the foot today. The first game was disappointing, but I thought Ed (Wagner) threw well enough to try and get the win and we left a lot of runners on base, while they (Central Florida) got the big hit. After that, we jumped out with a 7-0 lead in the second game before it was a two-run lead heading into the ninth where we couldn't close it out, but the guys didn't quit and were able to avoid the sweep. Credit to them for not giving up."

"Honestly, the hitting did really well overall in both games despite coming up short in the first game," said sophomore Erick Almonte. "Winning the second game was the one that mattered and we didn't get swept."

"I felt like we hit really well," said sophomore Jayce Blalock. "While we were slacking in other places, we got the dub in the end thanks to Erick (Almonte) at the end of the day."

"I thought most of the guys were not down because we lost the series to the defending national champions, but we wanted to make a statement in the second game" said freshman Gavyn Bowen. "That was the biggest thing for us to get the last game and avoid a sweep to start on a new page."

Game One:

Hill II sent sophomore Ed Wagner (2-5, 6.40 ERA) to start game one, while CF head coach Marty Smith went with sophomore Sebastian Perez (2-5, 4.40 ERA).

After the first two innings went scoreless, the Manatees would get on the board in the bottom of the third beginning with a leadoff double by sophomore LT Cockrill before scoring on a wild pitch. Two batters later, freshman Pip Smalley would send a single down the middle before classmate Allan Gil-Fernandez would then send a double to left to bring in Smalley and make it 2-0 SCF before being called out trying to stretch the double into a triple.

At the top of the fifth, the Patriots would gain steam and take a 4-2 lead after RBI doubles by sophomore Kainen Jorge, Gunnett Carlson and Kareh Valentine and an RBI groundout by classmate Edwin Toribio before they made it 5-2 after a bases-loaded walk by Jorge and taking the first game.

Wagner would fall to 2-6 after giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits with two walks an three strikeouts in five innings. Freshman Dylan DeLeo threw a third of a scoreless inning of relief with one walk, while classmate Ryan Slattery threw one and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief with two walks and four strikeouts.

Perez would improve to 3-5 after giving up two runs on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings. Sophomore Cortland Clarke would earn his first save after throwing two and a third innings of relief with two hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

Blalock would lead the way in hitting as he went 2-for-2 at the plate. Smalley (1-for-4, one run), Gil-Fernandez (1-for-4, one RBI), Cockrill (1-for-3, one run) and sophomore Santiago Ordonez (1-for-3) had the remaining four hits.

Valentine would lead the way in hitting for the Patriots as he went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run.

Game Two:

Looking to avoid being swept, Hill II sent freshman Palmer O'Beirne (5-1, 4.66 ERA) while Smitth went with sophomore James Hill (2-1, 6.00 ERA) to counter.

In the bottom of the first, the Manatees would open on the scoreboard first as Smalley would score on a wild pitch. One inning later, the Manatees would increase their lead further beginning with freshman Hayden Gustavon being hit by a pitch before Blalock sent a double to left to bring in Gustavson. Sophomore Luis Garrido would then hit a bunt single to bring in Blalock and then advance to third on a fielding error. After freshman Daniel Hartley drew a walk, Smalley would send Garrido home with a sacrifice fly to center. After Gil-Fernandez drew a walk, Ordonez would chop a hard ground ball single near third base and advanced to second on another fielding error while Hartley scored. Freshman Walker Vanecek would then send a ground rule double to right-center to bring in Gil-Fernandez and Ordonez and make it 7-0 SCF.

The Patriots would then get their first on the board at the top of the third as Carlson would send a three-run homer to right-center for his ninth of the season before Toribio would follow with a solo home run of his own for his 10th of the season.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees would add another set of run begining with a leadoff double by Almonte before Smalley sent a single to center to drive him in. After Ordonez hit a single of his own, Vanecek would single to center and bring in Smalley before advancing to second on the throw. Gustavson would then make it 10-4 as he sent a single to right to bring in Ordonez.

The Patriots would continue to put pressure on the O'Beirne after an RBI single by freshman Anthony Diaz and a bases-loaded walk by sophomore Michael Guilliams. The would signal the end for O'Beirne as Hill II would send freshman Aidan McBride to the mound. The Patriots would cut the lead to 10-9 after a sacrifice fly by freshman Marcus Bradshaw and an RBI single by Jorge. After two more walks, McBride was able to get out of the fifth.

The next three would be scoreless with McBride keeping control. In the bottom of the eighth, the Manatees would try to add an insurance run as Almonte would hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Gustavson and make it 11-9 SCF.

At the top of the ninth, the Patriots started to buckle McBride. After the first two batters reached base before the third struck out, the Patriots would load the bases before Valentine would send a single to left to bring in two. After an intentional walk, Hill would then send sophomore Preston Wetherell to try and work out of the inning, but a hit by a pitch and a two-run double would pull Wetherell and send Bowen in. After a sacrifice made it 15-11 CF, the Wisconsin native was able to end the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Manatees would put together a rally to go for a walkoff win beginning with leadoff double by Gil-Fernandez. After a single by Ordonez, Vanecek would send a single to left and bring in Gil-Fernandez. Gustavson would fly out, but helped Ordonez tag up and move to third. After Blalock drew a walk to load the bases, Smith would send sophomore Isaac Sewell to go for the save. 

Follow the pitching change, Garrido, who reached first on two successful bunts, would send a single to center and bring in Ordonez. After Hartley struck out for the second out, all eyes turned towards Almonte on an 0-2 count. With one final push of momentum, Almonte would send a double to right-center and bring in Vanecek and Blalock to tie the game, but with Garrido's speed, Hill II would take the risk and send him home in success to win the game and seal the victory.

"Honestly, I was thinking about Luis (Garrido) scoring," said Almonte on the game-winning hit. "I knew there was a gap shot where I could at least tie the game up and it worked out."

" When Erick hit the ball towards the gap, I thought 'we at least tied up the game' until I realized I had Luis (Garrido) at first and he can really run," said Hill II on Almonte's winning hit. "Once the ball went there, I thought we had a chance to win it and he scored easily. The team really needed that."

O'Beirne and Hill would both earn no-decisions in their starts. O'Beirne would give up nine runs (eight earned) on six hits with five walks and six strikeouts in four and a third innings, while Hill gave up seven runs (three earned) on seven hits with one walk and two strukeouts in three innings.

Bowen would earn his first collegiate win after throwing two-thirds of a scoreless innings of relief.

"I was trying to throw strikes and that was the biggest thing," said Bowen. "If they hit what I'm throwing and it's in the zone, then I tip my cap to them, but I was trying to live in the zone while also doing my part."

Sewell would fall to 2-1 with a blown save after giving up one run on two hits with one strikeout in one-third of an inning of relief.

The Manatees had 22 hits in the game with all nine Manatees in the starting lineup having at least one hit and six having multiple hits. It was Ordonez and Vanecek that lead the way in hitting as they each had four hits. Ordonez (4-for-6) added one RBI and three runs, while Vanecek (4-for-6) added four RBI and one run.

Almonte also lead the offense with Vanecek as he went 3-for-6 with four RBI and one run. Smalley (3-for-4) and Garrido (3-for-6) each three hits, two RBI and two runs. 

"I was just putting some confidence on myself," said Alomonte. "I know I'm a good baseball player and I just got to keep that confidence up and do what I do every time."

Gustavson rounded out the order batting 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs, while Gil-Fernandez (1-for-4, two runs and one walk), Hartley (1-for-5, one) and Blalock (1-for-4, one RBI, two runs and two walks) had the remaining three hits. Blalock finished 3-for-6 with an RBI in both games combined. McBride also contributed in the game as he threw four innings of relief with three strikeouts.

"I felt a lot more confident at the plate lately," said Blalock. "I was sitting on some pitches that I was unable to take on, but today my two-strike approach worked today. I was working on it earlier and it paid off in the end with a couple hits."

For the Patriots, Diaz lead the way in hitting and RBI as he went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Carlson followed going 2-for-5 with three RBI of his own.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Florida Southwestern (24-14, 15-6 Citrus) swept their doubleheader against Daytona State (13-20, 5-16 Citrus) by scores of 4-2 and 10-9.

Santa Fe (21-15, 12-9 Citrus) swept their doubleheader over Seminole State College (20-18, 9-12 Citrus) 7-1 and 6-3.

RV Indian River State (26-10, 14-7 Citrus) swept their doubleheader over Polk State (24-17, 12-9 Citrus) 8-2 and 5-2.

Eastern Florida State (19-17-1, 10-11 Citrus) swept their doubleheader over St. Pete College (14-21, 7-14 Citrus) 10-0 (5) and 4-1.

Miami Dade (20-18, 13-8 Citrus) split their doubleheader with Hillsborough (21-18, 9-12 Citrus) winning game one 6-1 before losing game two 6-2.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. Florida Southwestern (24-14, 15-6)

2. RV Indian River State (26-10, 14-7)

3. Miami Dade (20-18, 13-8)

4. Polk State (24-17, 12-9)

5. Santa Fe (21-15, 12-9)

6. Central Florida (21-16, 10-11)

7. SCF (21-17, 10-11)

8. Eastern Florida State (19-17-1, 10-11)

9. Hillsborough (21-18, 9-12)

10. Seminole State College (20-18, 9-12)

11. St. Pete (14-21, 7-14)

12. Daytona State (13-20, 5-16)

Up Next:

The Manatees will play their next midweek on the road as they travel to Avon Park to take on South Florida State (19-18, 8-9 Sun Lakes) at Panthers Field Tuesday night, April 2 at 6 pm before playing Indian River State for their next Citrus Conference series Thursday, April 4 and Saturday, April 6. Sophomore Trey Clucas (0-0, 7.50 ERA) will be given the nod to start the game.

SCF Baseball Takes Series Over HCC

Tampa, Fla - The SCF baseball team (20-14, 9-9 Citrus) took their fourth series in Citrus Conference play as they split their doubleheader with Hillsborugh (19-16, 8-10 Citrus) on the road losing game one 2-1 before winning game two 8-3 at the Himes Complex.

"I thought our pitching was good," said head coach Tim Hill II. "While we didn't get to hit the ball much in the first game as HCC's starting pitcher pitched really good and made some big mistakes that cost us, but I'm glad the boys bounced back in the second game so we can take the series over Hillsborough."

"We had a tough loss in the first game with a lot of opportunities to take it, but we bounced back in the second game," said freshman Allan Gil-Fernandez. "Things happen because we didn't do what we were capable of doing, but our pitching paved the way in the second game for us"

"It's always nice to bounce back and hang our heads up after a tough loss in the first game," said freshman Hayden Gustavson. "We turned it around in the next game and pulled it off."

Game One:

Hill II sent sophomore Ed Wagner (2-4, 6.75 ERA) to start the first game, while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton went with freshman Zach Redner (2-1, 4.77 ERA) to counter.

The first three innings were a pitcher's duel between Wagner and Redner as both exchanged a combined seven strikeouts. In the bottom of the fourth, the Hawks would get on board first after back-to-back bases loaded walks by freshmen Bennett Weinard and Jack Meade made it 2-0 HCC.

The Manatees would respond two innings later as freshman Pip Smalley would send a double to right-center to bring in sophomore Jalen Hairston. At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would load the bases to try and tie the game, but they were unsuccessful as the Hawks took game one.

Despite a valiant effort, Wagner would fall to 2-5 after giving up two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Freshman Dylan DeLeo would throw one scoreless inning of relief with one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

Redner would improve to 3-1 after giving up one run on four hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in six innings, while freshman Luke Fikar would earn his eighth save after throwing one scoreless inning of relief with three walks.

Hairston would lead the way in hitting as he went 2-for-3 with a run. Smalley (1-for-2, one RBI) and sophomore Santiago Ordonez (1-for-2) had the remaining two hits, while sophomores Erick Almonte (one walk), Luis Garrido (one walk) and LT Cockrill (one walk) and freshman Walker Vanecek (one walk) also contributed in the game.

Sophomore Jacob Bowman and freshman Blake Opie lead the way in hitting as they each had two hits.

Game Two:

Looking to bounce back and secure the rubber match, Hill II sent freshman Palmer O'Beirne (4-1, 5.09 ERA) while Leaton went with sophomore Lex Sanchez (3-1, 5.48 ERA).

The top of the first belonged to the Manatees as Gil-Fernandez would send a three-run blast to left for his fifth of the season and give the Manatees a 3-0 lead.

"I wasn't hitting at all last week and it was good that I was able to get something going to help my team," said Gil-Fernandez.

In the bottom of the second, woes started to catch up to the Manatee briefly as the Hawks cut the lead to 3-2 after a bases-loaded walk from sophomore Brecken Fair and Opie scoring on a fielding error. 

The Manatees would respond at the top of the third as Smalley would bring in Almonte with an RBI groundout. One inning later, after a leadoff single by Ordonez, Gustavson, who was returning to the lineup from injury, would send a two-run homer to left for his second of the season.

"When I was batting, Coach Hill told me to be more patient," said Gustavson. "I took his advice and it worked out."

At the top of the fifth, with the bases loaded by Hairston (walk), Gil-Fernandez (single) and freshman Walker Vanecek (hit by a pitch), Gustavson would then reach first on a field error while Hairston scored to make it 7-2 SCF. One inning later, the Manatees would add their final run of the game as Hairston would send a single to right to bring in sophomore Luke Boykin to make it 8-2 SCF.

The Hawks would add their final run of the game after an RBI single by Bowman, but O'Beirne was able to finish the sixth with ease. From there, the Manatees would seal the victory and take the series.

O'Beirne would improve to 5-1 after giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in six innings. Sophomore Bryan Gomez earned his first save of the season after throwing three scoreless innings of relief with one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

Sanchez would fall to 3-2 after giving up six runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in three and a third innings.

Five Manatees had a multi-hit game in the second game. It was Gil-Fernandez that lead the offense as he 2-for-5 with three RBI. Gustavson would follow finishing 2-for-5 with two RBI. Hairtson (2-for-4), Smalley (2-for-5) and Ordonez (2-for-5) rounded out the order with two hits each. Hairston and Smalley each had one RBI and one run, while Ordonez had one run.

Vanecek (1-for-4) and Garrido (1-for-5) had remaining two hits, while Almonte (two runs and two walks) and Boykin (one run) also contributed in the game.

Fikar lead the way in hitting as he went 2-for-4 with a run.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Santa Fe (19-14, 10-8) split with Central Florida (19-15, 8-10 Citrus) to take the series winning game one 4-3 and losing game two 10-4.

Polk State (23-15, 11-7 Citrus) swept Daytona State (13-17, 5-13 Citrus) in their doubleheader 2-1 and 12-2 to sweep the series.

Seminole State College of Florida (19-15, 8-10 Citrus) split with RV Indian River State (23-9, 12-6 Citrus) winning game one 10-1 before losing game two 7-2.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. RV Indian River State (23-9, 12-6)

2. Florida Southwestern (21-13, 12-6)

3. Polk State (23-15, 11-7)

4. Miami Dade (17-16, 11-7)

5. Santa Fe (19-14, 10-8)

6. SCF (20-14, 9-9)

7. Central Florida (19-15, 8-10)

8. Seminole State College of Florida (19-15, 8-10)

9. Hillsborough (19-16, 8-10)

10. Eastern Florida State (17-16-1, 8-10)

11. St. Pete (12-19, 6-12)

12. Daytona State (13-17, 5-13)

Up Next:

The Manatees will travel to Miami to take on Miami Dade (17-16, 11-7 Citrus) at the Kendall Campus Baseball Field Monday afternoon, March 25 at 4 pm.

SCF Softball Sweeps Polk State

Winter Haven, Fla - A strong pitching performance by sophomore Brielle Bostow and key home runs by classmate Alissa Kessler proved no limits for the SCF softball team (14-14, 8-12 Citrus) as they swept Polk State (8-22, 2-18 Citrus) 4-3 and 12-6.

“We did not play as well as we would have hoped,” said head coach Mandy Schuerman. “Nevertheless, it was good to get two wins for conference.”

“Overall, I think as a team we didn't play our best, but we still did a job and pulled out two wins,” said Bostow. “The difference between both games was our energy level, offensively making adjustments and staying in our zone.”

“We played good enough to win two games, but it wasn't our game,” said sophomore Karsyn Rutherford. “We can put more on the field than what we showed today. I think we definitely had more energy in the second game and scoring in the first inning helped that.”

Game One:

Schuerman sent freshman Julianna Stachowicz (8-5, 1.19 ERA) to start game one while Polk State Kevin Lewis went with freshman Donnea Allen (2-6, 6.85 ERA) to counter.

Following the end of the first inning, Stachowicz would throw a leadoff walk at the top of the second which would signal Schuerman to send Bostow to come in. Despite walking two batters to load the bases, Bostow was able to strikeout two before getting out of the inning with a fielders choice. 

After a scoreless third, the Eagles would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI single by freshman Jamie Reinhardt.

The Manatees would respond back at the top of the fifth as Rutherford would send a triple to left to bring in sophomore Janessa Benavides to tie the game at 1-1. One inning later, the Manatees would take their first lead as Kessler would showcase her power as she belted a leadoff solo home run to center for her fifth of the season. Freshman Lilah Denton would then hit a single and steal second base before advancing to third on a groundout. After sophomore Taylor Halback drew a walk, freshman Lydia Denton would send a single to right to bring in Lil. Denton to make it 3-1 SCF.

The Eagles would not go away as they tied the game at 3-3 after an RBI single by freshman Kagan Dudney and an RBI triple by freshman Nayeli Hernandez. The Eagles would load the bases looking to try and win the game in walk-off fashion, but a strikeout and batter interference proved to be costly as the game would go into extra innings.

At the top of the eighth, freshman Avery Arrington would lead off the inning with a single to left before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Halback. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Benavides show her part of being the hero as she sent a single to left to bring in Arrington to make it 4-3.

Stachowicz would then reenter the game on the mound and despite giving up two walks, she was able to get the final batter to line out to seal the victory for the Manatees.

Stachowicz would earn a no-decision after throwing two scoreless innings with six walks and two strikeouts. She was also 1-for-2 with two walks.

Bostow would improve to 2-2 after giving up three runs (one earned) on six hits with two walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts in six innings of relief.

“I felt really good today on the mound,” said Bostow. “I was relaxed and loose and my changeup was on. Taylor (Halback) also helped me with that and was doing a great job behind the plate for me.”

Allen would fall to 2-7 after giving up four runs on eight hits with eight walks and five strikeouts in an eight-inning complete game.

Rutherford would lead the way in hitting for game one as she went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Benavides (1-for-1, one RBI, one run and two walks), Kessler (1-for-4, one home run), Lil. Denton (1-for-1, one run and one stolen base), Lyd. Denton (1-for-4, one RBI) and Arrington (1-for-1, one run) had the remaining hits, while Halback (one walk), redshirt sophomore Jordan O’Brien (one walk) and freshman Ryleigh Bennett (one walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, Reinhardt lead the way in hitting as she went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Game Two:

Looking to complete the sweep, Schuerman sent Bennett (3-3, 3.90 ERA) to start game two, while Lewis went with Reinhardt (3-9, 4.87 ERA).

The Manatees would open on the board first at the top of the first. After Rutherford reached on a fielding error before stealing second and Lil. Denton drew a walk, Kessler would send a double to left-center to bring in both runners and make it 2-0 SCF. The Eagles would cut the lead to 2-1 after an RBI double by sophomore Jillian Hudson.

The Manatees would increase their lead at the top of the second beginning with a leadoff walk by Lyd Denton. After freshman Saremi Flores reached on a fielder’s choice and Arrington hit a single, Rutherford would send a single to right to bring in Flores. After a sacrifice bunt by Lil. Denton, Bennett would send a single to right and bring in Arrington to make it 4-1 SCF.

The Eagles would tie the game at 4-4 after an RBI single by Hernandez and a two-run triple by freshman Veronica Fernandez. 

At the top of the fourth, the Manatees would regain the lead with a leadoff triple by Rutherford. One batter later, Bennett would hit into a fielder’s choice to bring in Rutherford. After stealing second, Benavides would send a single to center and bring in Bennett to make it 6-4 SCF. The Eagles would once again tie the game after a two-run double by Dudney to make it 6-6. Stachowicz would then come in for Bennett with two outs and strikeout Hudson.

After the fifth inning went scoreless, the Manatees put together a strong outing at the top of the sixth beginning with a leadoff single by freshman Hailey Margetis. After Bennett drew a walk, Kessler would once again show her powerhouse hitting as she sent a three-run homer to left for her sixth of the season and give the Manatees a 9-6 lead.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would add their final runs of the game. After Stachowicz and Rutherford hit back-to-back single, Margetis, Bennett and Kessler would hit back-to-back-to-back RBI singles of their own to make it 12-6 SCF. From there, Stachowicz would finish the seventh and seal the deal for a Manatee sweep.

Bennett would earn a no-decision after giving up six runs on six hits with three strikeouts in three and two-thirds innings. She was also 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI, two runs, one walk and one stolen base.

Stachowicz would improve to 8-5 after throwing three and a third scoreless innings of relief with two hits, one walk and six strikeouts. She was also 2-for-2 at the plate with a run.

Reinhardt would fall to 3-10 after giving up 11 runs (10 earned) on 13 hits with five walks and four strikeouts in six innings. Allen would give up one run on three hits in one inning of relief.

Aside from Bennett and Stachowicz, four other Manatees had a multi-hit game. Kessler would lead the way offensively as she finished 3-for-5 with a home run, six RBI and a stolen base. She was in fact a triple shy of a cycle. The transfer from Florida Atlantic would finish the series 4-for-9 with two home runs and seven RBI.

"Alissa has continued to show good power at the plate," said Schuerman on Kessler.

Rutherford would also follow with a three-hit game as she went 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs, one RBI and one stolen base. The Venice native would finish 5-for-10 with two RBI.

"I felt good today," said Rutherford. "I'm just happy to help the team in any way I can in order to win."

"Karsyn had a good day today at the plate," said Schuerman on Rutherford. "I was happy to see the ball fall for her today."

Margetis and Benavides would round out the order with two hits each. Margetis (2-for-2) added one RBI and two runs, while Benavides (2-for-5) added one RBI.

Arrington (1-for-2, one run) and freshman Olivia Rogers (1-for-4, one walk) had the remaining two hits, while Lil. Denton (one run, one walk and one stolen base), Flores (one run) and Lyd. Denton (two walks) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, Dudney and Hudson lead the way in hitting as they each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Dudney added two RBI, while Hudson added one RBI.

Notes:

This was win #271 and #272 for Schuerman and she needs 28 more to reach 300 career wins as head coach.

Up Next:

The Manatees return to action at the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome #5 Indian River State (29-4, 17-3 Citrus) Tuesday, March 26 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Baseball Takes Game One Over HCC

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (19-13, 8-8 Citrus) put themselves at even for conference play as they defeated Hillsborough (18-15, 7-9 Citrus) 2-1 at Wynn Field.

"While we had a lot of chances to score, I will take the win," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Brandon (Clarke) was awesome and we know that we will be in games like these. Hillsborough played well, but we were the ones that came out on top."

"I thought it was a great and hard-fought team win overall," said sophomore Brandon Clarke. "We played fantastic defense and our pitching was incredible to keep us moving. It was an awesome win."

"I thought it was a great team win," said freshman Daniel Hartley. "Everyone was up in the dugout and we were there for each other."

"The energy was really good and Brandon (Clarke) pitched really good," said freshman Walker Vanecek. "While we did miss some timely hitting, we got the job done and got the dub."

Hill II sent Clarke (4-2, 4.99 ERA) to start the opening series game while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton went with sophomore Mason Tinsley (2-5, 5.00 ERA) to counter.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would jump on the board first in the bottom of the second as sophomore Erick Almonte would line a single to right to bring in Vanecek to make it 1-0 SCF.

While the Manatees maintained their 1-0 lead, Clarke would continue his role on the mound as he was able to keep the Hawks from reaching base. At the top of the fifth, he would load the bases full of Hawks, but a flyout to center kept the Manatees lead alive.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would increase the lead to 2-0 as Almonte would hit an RBI double and bring in sophomore Jayce Blalock.

Clarke would head into the seventh with a runner on and two outs but with the defense behind him, he was able to finish the seventh inning with ease.

Hartley would come in at the top of the eighth for Clarke and get into some trouble as the Hawks would score on a fielder's choice before closing the inning with a strikeout before closing the top of the ninth with a strikeout to seal the deal.

Clarke would improve to 5-2 after throwing seven scoreless innings with two hits, four walks and eight strikeouts.

"I felt good on the mound," said Clarke. "I just tried to attack the hitters and try to use a good amount of breaking balls and they really helped me get ahead of the batters and threw them off-balance and it helped get the win."

Hartley would earn his second save after giving up one run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts in two innings of relief.

"I knew when it was a 2-1 ball game, I had to make an adjustment after my first inning of work and keep it close to win the game," said Hartley. "The outfielder made a good play in the game and I got a big strikeout to close it and set the tone."

Tinsley would fall to 2-6 after giving up two runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts in four innings.

Almonte would lead the way in hitting and offense as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Vanecek would round out the order as he went 2-for-3 with one run and one walk.

"I felt good," said Vanecek. "I was seeing the ball really well and it felt good getting two hits."

Blalock (1-for-2, one run and one walk) and sophomores Jalen Hairston (1-for-4) and Santiago Ordonez (1-for-2, one walk) had the remaining three hits, while sophomore Luis Garrido (one walk) and freshman Luke Boykin (one walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Hawks, freshman Bennett Weinard lead the way in hitting as he went 2-for-4 at the plate.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Polk State (21-15, 9-7 Citrus) defeated Daytona State (13-15, 5-11 Citrus) 10-8.

Santa Fe (18-13, 9-7 Citrus) defeated Central Florida (18-14, 7-9 Citrus) 2-0.

Eastern Florida State (16-15-1, 7-9 Citrus) defeated Florida Southwestern (20-12, 11-5 Citrus) 5-4.

Seminole State College (18-14, 7-9 Citrus) defeated RV Indian River State (22-8, 11-5 Citrus) 11-2.

St. Pete College (11-18, 5-11 Citrus) defeated Miami Dade (16-15, 10-6 Citrus) 14-11.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. RV Indian River State (22-8, 11-5)

2. Florida Southwestern (20-12, 11-5)

3. Miami Dade (16-15, 10-6)

4. Polk State (21-15, 9-7)

5. Santa Fe (18-13, 9-7)

6. SCF (19-13, 8-8)

7. Central Florida (18-14, 7-9)

8. Seminole State College (18-14, 7-9)

9. Hillsborough (18-15, 7-9)

10. Eastern Florida State (16-15-1, 7-9)

11. Daytona State 13-15, 5-11)

12. St. Pete College (11-18, 5-11)

Up Next:

The Manatees will look to garner their first sweep in conference play over Hillsborough as they travel to Tampa for a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, March 23 at 1 and 4 pm at Himes Complex. Sophomore Ed Wagner (2-4, 6.75 ERA) will start game one, while freshman Palmer O'Beirne (4-1, 5.09 ERA) will be given the nod for game two.

SCF Softball Sweep SPC

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (12-14, 6-12 Citrus) were able to break their eight-game cold streak and back on top as they swept St. Pete College (13-21, 6-12 Citrus) by scores of 3-2 and 5-4.

"We are happy that we got both wins," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We will need to capitalize more with runners in scoring position and continue to try to make all routine plays."

"Overall, we did good being able to score after St. Pete did," said sophomore Maddisan Noriega. "It would go back and forth where they would score to tie the game after we scored and then we scored and kept the lead. It felt good to get the sweep in the end after falling short a few times and while it wasn't our best, we will make sure to bring it for the next series for sure."

"Overall, I think we did a good job finding a way to get on base and did well staying in the game after they started scoring. It felt good to get the sweep, but we know our potential. It wasn't our greatest performance, but we are set on the right track and going into the next series hungry."

Game One:

Schuerman sent freshman Julianna Stachowicz (7-5, 1.23 ERA) to open game one, while St. Pete head coach Bre Myers went with freshman Mariade Los Angeles Fory to counter.

The Titans would open on the board first at the top of the first as sophomore Ayla Horne would bring in a run with an RBI double. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would respond back. After sophomore Haley Rosenbaum (single) and freshmen Hailey Margetis (single) and Ryleigh Bennett (single) loaded the bases, sophomore Alissa Kessler would draw a walk to bring in Rosenbaum. Two batters later, freshman Lydia Denton would bring draw a bases-loaded walk of her own to bring in Margetis and give the Manatees a 2-1 lead. One inning later, sophomore Karsyn Rutherford would score  on a double steal with Margetis to make it 3-1 SCF.

The Titans would add one more run to the board at the top of the third as freshman Paige Bankston would hit an RBI single, but it would be all they could produce as the Manatees sealed the victory.

Stachowicz would improve to 8-5 after throwing a complete game, giving up two runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Fory would fall to 0-1 after giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings.

Bennett would lead the way in hitting in the first game as she went 2-for-3 at the plate. Rosenbaum (1-for-4, one run and one stolen base), Margetis (1-for-3, one run and two stolen bases) and Kessler (1-for-2, one RBI and one walk) had the remaining three hits, while Denton (one RBI and two walks) and Rutherford (one run and one stolen base) also contributed in the game.

Freshman Alyssa Filmer would lead the way in hitting for the Titans as she went 2-for-4 with two runs 

Game Two:

Looking to go for the sweep, Schuerman sent sophomore Brielle Bostow (1-2, 5.92 ERA) to start game two, while Myers sent freshman Nia Fisher (2-6, 2.55 ERA) to counter.

The Titans would score first at the top of the first after freshman Gabrielle Rascher scored on a wild pitch. One inning later, they would increase the lead to 2-0 off of a Manatee fielding error before it became 3-0 at the top of the third after an RBI single by Bankston.

The Manatees would then get on the board in the bottom of the third after Margetis would hit an RBI single to bring in Rutherford.

Heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would pull a rally beginning with a leadoff single by sophomore Janessa Benavides. After Margetis drew a walk, Bennett would send a single to right to bring in Benavides before Kessler tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI single to bring in Margetis. The Manatees would then take the lead as Bennett would score on a wild pitch before sophomore Maddisan Noriega sent a single to right to bring in Kessler and make it 5-3 SCF.

The Titans would add their final run on the board from an RBI single by Rascher at the top of the sixth, but the Manatees were able to hold the lead and seal the victory for the sweep.

Bostow would earn a no-decision after giving up three runs (one earned) on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in two and third innings.

Bennett would improve to 3-3 after giving up one unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts in four and two-third scoreless innings of relief. She was also 1-for-3 with an RBI, one run and one walk and finished 3-for-6 at the plate in both games."

"I felt good at the plate in both games," said Bennett. "I was seeing the ball really well and was on top of it. We have been very focused on our hitting, so I'm happy to see it paying off for all of us. I felt good pitching and went in with confidence that we could get out of innings without giving up runs."

Fisher would fall to 2-7 after giving up three runs on two hits with one walk in no innings. Sophomore Kassidy Goodpaster would give up two runs on five hits with five walks and four strikeouts in six innings of relief.

Noriega would lead the way in hitting for game two as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

"It felt amazing to be able to help my team," said Noriega. "That's what I strive for when I'm going up to the plate and that's to get the job done and produce for my team,"

Benavides (1-for-3, one run), Margetis (1-for-2, one RBI, one run and two walks), Kessler (1-for-3, one RBI, one run and one walk) and freshman Olivia Rogers (1-for-3, one stolen base) had the remaining four hits while Rutherford (one run and one walk) also contributed in the game.

Up Next:

The Manatees will travel to Winter Haven to take on Polk State (8-20, 2-16 Citrus) at the Diamond Plex Saturday afternoon, March 23 at 12 and 2 pm.

SCF Baseball Prepares for Non-Conference Play Upon Miami Dade

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (17-9, 7-5 Citrus) will put spring break in their rearview mirror and prepare for their next midweek game. The Manatees will welcome St. Pete College (9-15, 4-8 Citrus) to Robert C. Wynn Field Monday night, March 11 at 6 pm before they play Miami Dade (13-13, 7-5 Citrus) for their next Citrus Conference series. Game one will take place at the Kendal Campus Baseball Field in Miami Thursday night, March 14 at 5 pm before returning to Wynn Field for a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, March 16 at 1 and 4 pm.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #17 Florida Southwestern (18-8, 9-3)

2. Indian River State (16-7, 8-4)

3. SCF (17-9, 7-5)

4. Miami Dade (13-13, 7-5)

5. Central Florida (15-11, 6-6)

6. Santa Fe (15-11, 6-6)

7. Polk State (16-14, 6-6)

8. Seminole State College of Florida (16-10, 5-7)

9. Hillsborough (15-12, 5-7)

10. Eastern Florida State (13-12-1, 5-7)

11. Daytona State (12-12, 4-8)

12. St. Pete (9-15, 4-8)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of claiming their third series in Citrus Conference play where they defeated and upset #17 Florida Southwestern. They would win game one on the road in Fort Myers by a score of 11-3 in eight innings via the eight-run mercy rule. Following that, the series would head to Bradenton where they would split the doubleheader losing game one 11-5 before winning game two 13-7 to take the series.

Currently, the Manatees are tied for third place in the conference standings with Miami Dade.

Conquering the Breaking Balls:

Since his return from limited play last season, sophomore Brandon Clarke continues to have a strong fight on the mound as the ace for the Manatees. Clarke is currently 4-1 with a 4.86 ERA, 12 walks and 53 strikeouts. In his last start, the North Carolinian threw six innings with six strikeouts in the win over FSW.

Strong Bomb Hitting:

Leading the charge at the plate is sophomores Jalen Hairston and Santiago Ordonez and freshman Allan Gil-Fernandez.

Hairston has struggled in the last two weeks until his first collegiate grand slam set the tone to help the Manatees take the rubber game over Florida Southwestern. The upcoming Kentucky transfer is batting .365 with 38 hits, five home runs and 30 RBI.

Ordonez has been one of the more consistent batters in the games for hitting. The transfer from Florida State is batting .387 with 24 hits, one home run and 11 RBI. In the first game of the doubleheader, Ordonez hit his first collegiate home run and went 4-for-6 with four RBI.

Gil-Fernandez is batting .333 with 34 hits, four home runs and 38 RBI. In game one of the series, the Dominican native hit his first collegiate grand slam with a season-high seven RBI.

Pip Pip Hurray:

Freshman Pip Smalley has been consistent both on the mound and at the plate. Smalley is batting .351 with 26 hits, two home runs and 15 RBI while on the mound he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and three strikeouts. He earned his first win of the season after throwing two-thirds of a scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout.

Zigging and Zagging the Mound:

Freshman Trevor Zeigler has been improving himself in the bullpen since joining the Manatees from the University of Cincinnati. Zeigler is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA, two saves, 18 walks and 24 strikeouts. In his last outing, he threw two scoreless innings of relief with one walk and three strikeouts in the rubber game win over FSW.

Almonte's Groove:

Since his return to the lineup from injury, sophomore Erick Almonte has been hitting the ball well. Almonte is batting .408 with 20 hits, one home run, 11 RBI. He hit his first home run in the series finale over FSW

Running Wild:

Sophomores Luis Garrido, Ed Wagner, Preston Wetherell and Bryan Gomez and freshmen Hayden Gustavson, Walker Vanecek, Palmer O'Beirne and Luke Boykin play their part as the wildcard players.

Garrido is batting .347 with 33 hits, 10 RBI, 29 runs and six stolen bases.

Wagner is 2-3 with a 5.60 ERA, 15 walks and 41 strikeouts.

Wetherell, one of several hybrid players, is batting .264 with 14 hits, one home run and five RBI at the plate while on the mound he is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA, six walks and 11 strikeouts.

Gomez is currently 2-0 with a 4.87 ERA, 19 walks and 29 strikeouts. He will be given the nod to start the game against St. Pete on Monday.

Gustavson is batting .325 with 27 hits, one home run and 13 RBI.

Vanecek is batting .262 with 11 hits, one home run anf 15 RBI

O'Beirne is 4-0 with a 3.79 ERA, 12 walks and 27 strikeouts.

Boykin is batting .250 with 24 hits, two home runs and 22 RBI.

Scouting St. Pete:

The Titans are coming off of winning their series over Daytona State. They would fall in the first game by a score of 12-2 before winning their doubleheader by scores of 7-4 and 12-7. Currently, they are tied in last place in conference with Daytona State.

Sophomore Colton Pizzio leads the way in hitting as he is batting .414 with 24 hits and seven RBI, while classmate Brett Wagner leads the offense batting .382 with 21 hits, two home runs and 13 RBI.

Sophomore Esaid Pena still leads the Titans on the mound going 3-1 with a 3.73 ERA, 16 walks and 29 strikeouts.

The Manatees played the Titans earlier in the season (March 4) where they won by a score of 9-5.

Scouting Miami Dade:

The Sharks are coming off of winning their series over Santa Fe. They would win game one 10-0 in eight innings before splitting their doubleheader losing the first game 6-1 before winning the rubber game by a score of 8-5. In the standings, the Sharks are tied for third place with the Manatees, but are fourth due to their overall record.

At the plate, sophomore Geremy Garcia is batting .297 with 27 hits, four home runs and 26 RBI.

On the mound, sophomore Juan Miguel Fernandez, a transfer from University International College (USCAA), is 2-1 with 2.27 ERA, 19 walks and 38 strikeouts.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger. The game on the road in Miami will air on TeamOneSports, while the games at SCF 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

Livestream Links:

SCF vs Miami Dade (Game One) - https://www.team1sports.com/college/?S=mdc

SCF vs SPC/Miami Dade (Doubleheader) - https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/

X - https://twitter.com/SCFBaseball

SCF Baseball Takes Series Over FSW

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (17-9, 7-5 Citrus) were able to take their third series in Citrus Conference play as they split with #17 Florida Southwestern (18-8, 9-3 Citrus) losing game one 11-5 before winning game two by a score of 13-7 at Wynn Field.

"I would have loved to have played better in the first game on our field, but FSW is a good club," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Anytime you take two out of three games in the series, we'll take it and the guys responded well in the second game to prove it. They battled the whole way."

"I think overall we did pretty well," said sophomore Santiago Ordonez. "I thought our guys face some good adversity today and we battled throughout every single game."

"I felt like our pitching didn't have our stuff like they normally do," said sophomore Jalen Hairston. "Nevertheless, we had a guy come out of the pen and close the game out. Our hitters are starting to come together and have some timely hits and we're starting to play as a team."

"The bats came alive at the perfect time," said sophomore Luis Garrido. "We did a good job closing it out in the end."

Game One:

Hill II sent sophomore Ed Wagner (2-2, 4.75 ERA) to start game one, while FSW head coach Zach Cole went with redshirt freshman Jordan Huskey (3-1, 2.00 ERA) to counter.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would get on the board first in the bottom of the second as Ordonez would send a solo home run to right-center for his first collegiate home run.

"All I wanted to do was get something in play to get the next man up," said Ordonez on his first home run. "I got a really good barrel on it and it did the job for me."

The Buccaneers would tie the game at 1-1 at the top of the third after sophomore Justin Thomas would hit a solo homer to center for his third of the season. The Manatees would respond back in the bottom of the third as freshman Allan Gil-Fernandez would send a single to left to bring in sophomore Erick Almonte to make it 2-1 SCF.

At the top of the fourth, the Buccaneers would then take advantage of the game redshirt freshman Nik Pereria would score on a fielding error before sophomore Victor Figueroa would send a grand slam homer to left for his ninth of the season.

The Buccaneers would increase the lead to 7-2 at the top of the sixth as redshirt freshman Cooper Clapp would send a leadoff home run to right for his first of the season before they increased the lead to 11-2 after sophomore Nate Earley hit a solo home run to right for his seventh of the season, redshirt freshman Eric Blair hit a sacrifice fly and Clapp scored on a wild pitch.

The Manatees would try to fight back in the bottom of the seventh as sophomore Preston Wetherell would hit a pinch hit leadoff solo home run to left for his first of the season. After Almonte (reached on error), Hairston (walk) and Gil-Fernandez (walk) loaded the bases, Ordonez would then send a double to left-center to bring in Almonte and Hairston, but it would be all the Manatees could produce as the Buccaneers would take the first game.

Despite a valiant fight, Wagner would fall to 2-3 after giving up six runs (two earned) on five hits with two walk and nine strikeouts in five innings. Freshman Daniel Hartley would give up five runs (two earned) on four hits with one strikeout in one and two-thirds innings of relief, while classmate Aidan McBride threw one-third of a scoreless inning with one walk.

Huskey would 4-1 after gibing up two runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in six innings.

Ordonez would lead the way in hitting and offense in game as he went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one walk.

Gil-Fernandez (1-for-2, one RBI and two walks), Garrido (1-for-3) and Wetherell (1-for-1, one home run) had the remaining three hits, while Almonte (two runs and a stolen base) and Hairston (one run and one walk) also contributed in the game.

Redshirt freshman Michael McAloose lead the way in hitting as he went 2-for-4 with a run, while Figueroa lead the way in offense as he went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and a stolen base.

Game Two:

Looking to take the rubber match, Hill II sent freshman Palmer O'Beirne (4-0, 3.14 ERA) to start game two while Cole went with sophomore Reyn Watson (1-0, 4.42 ERA).

The Manatees would once again get on the board first in the bottom of the first as Almonte would showoff his power with a leadoff home run to left for his first of the season. One inning later, Almonte would draw a bases loaded walk to bring in Ordonez to make it 2-0 SCF.

The Buccaneers would respond at the top of the third as Figueroa would tie the game with two-run shot for his 10th of the season and second home run in the doubleheader.

The Manatees would then take the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Almonte would send a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Garrido. The Bucaneeers would tie the game at 3-3 at the top of the fifth redshirt sophomore Luca Danos would send a leadoff solo home run to left for his fifth of the season.

The Manatees would then regain the lead in the bottom of the fifth beginning with a one-out double by freshman Pip Smalley. After Ordonez was hit by a pitch and saw both runners advance to scoring position on balk, freshman Luke Boykin would ground out to bring in Smalley before Garrido hit an infield single to the pitcher to bring in Ordonez and make it 5-3 SCF.

The Buccaneers would cut the lead to 5-4 at the top of the sixth after Blair was hit by a pitch to bring in the run. One inning later, sophomore Jared Davis would tie the game at 5-5 after with an RBI. Figueroa would showoff his bat and give the Buccaneers the lead as the reigning NJCAA Player of the Week would hit a bases-loaded two-run single to left to make it 7-5 FSW.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Manatees would put together a big rally to try to take the lead. After Ordonez (single), Boykin (walk) and Garrido (hit by pitch) loaded the bases, freshman Hayden Gustavson would then reach first on fielding error while Ordonez scored before Almonte tied the game at 7-7 after drawing a bases loaded walk to bring in Boykin.

All eyes turned to Hairston on a 1-0 count who struggled during the last two weeks and was 0-for-4 in the game. With grit and determination, the upcoming transfer for the University of Kentucky sent a towering shot to right over Carol's Corner for his first collegiate grand slam and his fifth home run of the season.

"Baseball is a game of adjustments and I was struggling the last two weeks, but you always get another at-bat at the plate," said Hairston on the grand slam. "I came up to the plate and got a good pitch to hit and it was good."

"That was a big hit for sure for Jalen," said Hill II on Hairston's grand slam. "For him to get that big hit in the moment was amazing."

After Smalley drew a walk, Ordonez would send a double to right to bring in Smalley and make it 12-7 SCF. They would add their final run in the bottom of the eighth as Gustavson would bring in Garrido to make it 13-7 before freshman Trevor Zeigler finished the ninth to seal the series for the Manatees.

O'Beirne and Watson would both earn no-decision in the game. O'Beirne gave up three runs on five hits with five walks and five strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings, while Watston gave up two runs (one earned) on one hit with three walks and three strikeouts in two innings.

Smalley would earn his first win of the season after throwing two-thirds of a scoreless inning of relief with one walk and one strikeout. He was also 1-for-4 with two runs and a walk.

Redshirt freshman Brandon Gonsalves would fall to 3-1 after giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Three Manatees had a multi-hit game. It was Garrido that lead the way in hitting as he went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

"While my swing wasn't as clean at first," said Garrido. "I was fighting and was able to get hits after making some adjustments."

Almonte would be one of the leaders in offense as he finished 2-for-3 with four RBI, two walks, two runs and two stolen bases, while Ordonez rounded out the order finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI, three runs and a walk and Hairston would follow Almonte in RBI as he finished 1-for-5 with four RBI.

Sophomore Jayce Blalock (1-for-2, one walk) had the remaining hit for the Manatees, while Gustavson (one run and two RBI; two-thirds of an inning of relief), Zeigler (two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts), Gil-Fernandez (one walk), Boykin (one run, one RBI and one walk) and sophomore Bryan Gomez (one inning of relief with two strikeouts) also contributed in the game.

For the Buccaneers, Figueroa and Earley lead the way in hitting as they each went 3-for-4 at the plate. Figueroa lead the way with four RBI.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Indian River State (16-7, 8-4 Citrus) swept their doubleheader against Eastern Florida State (13-12-1, 5-7 Citrus) winning by scores of 9-4 and 10-4 to earn a full sweep.

Seminole State College of Florida (16-10, 5-7 Citrus) split with Central Florida (15-11, 6-6 Citrus) in their doubleheader losing game one 6-7 before winning game two 18-13 to take the series.

Polk State (16-14, 6-6 Citrus) completed their sweep over Hillsborough (15-12, 5-7 Citrus) winning their doubleheader by scores of 6-3 and 8-2.

Santa Fe (15-11, 6-6) split their series to defeat Miami Dade (13-13, 7-5 Citrus) losing game one 6-1 before winning the rubber match in game two by a score of 8-5.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #17 Florida Southwestern (18-8, 9-3)

2. Indian River State (16-7, 8-4)

3. SCF (17-9, 7-5)

4. Miami Dade (13-13, 7-5)

5. Central Florida (15-11, 6-6)

6. Santa Fe (15-11, 6-6)

7. Polk State (16-14, 6-6)

8. Seminole State College of Florida (16-10, 5-7)

9. Hillsborough (15-12, 5-7)

10. Eastern Florida State (13-12-1, 5-7)

11. Daytona State (12-12, 4-8)

12. St. Pete (9-15, 4-8)

Up Next:

The Manatees will host non-conference play against a conference opponent at Wynn Field as they welcome St. Pete (9-15, 4-8 Citrus) Monday night, March 11 at 6 pm. Bryan Gomez (2-0, 4.93 ERA) will be given the nod to start the game.

SCF Baseball Pulls Upset Over FSW

Fort Myers, Fla - A towering offense lead by freshman Allan Gil-Fernandez powered the SCF baseball team (16-8, 6-4 Citrus) to an upset win over #17 Florida Southwestern (17-7, 8-2 Citrus) as the Manatees won by a score of 11-3 in eight innings via the eight-run mercy rule at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.

“The guys were focused and played really well,” said head coach Tim Hill II. “Brandon (Clarke) set the tone and was in control on the mound the whole way while the batters got some big hits. Anytime you scored 11 runs, you like your chances for a win.”

“I thought we did well and executed as a team,” said Gil-Fernandez. “We picked each other up hitting wise and mercy ruled them and pitching was really good. We did a great job.”

“Brandon (Clarke) had a good game so hats off to him for that,” said freshman Trevor Ziegler. “The hitters did a good job with the bats and anytime that happens, it's a good day for us.”

Hill II sent sophomore Brandon Clarke (3-1, 5.27 ERA) to start the opening game of the series, while FSW head coach Zach Cole went with sophomore Landon Burch (1-0, 3.32 ERA) to counter.

The first inning saw the Manatees on the board first as Gil-Fernandez would bring in sophomore Jalen Hairston for the first run of the game. One inning later, sophomore Luis Garrido would make it 2-0 after hitting a double and scoring on a passed ball.

At the top of the third, the Manatees would increase their lead further beginning with a one-out walk drawn by Gil-Fernandez. After sophomore Santiago Ordonez reached base on a throwing error and advanced to scoring position, freshman Hayden Gustavson would ground a single to right to bring in Gil-Fernandez. One batter later, Garrido would send a hard single to bring in Ordonez to make it 4-0 SCF. 

The Buccaneers would add their first runs of the game in the bottom of the third off of an RBI groundout by sophomore Victor Figueroa and classmate Justin Thomas scoring on a wild pitch to make it 4-2 still in SCF’s favor.

Three innings later, the Manatees would start to swing the hot bat. After sophomore Erick Almonte reached first on a fielding error and Hairston was hit by a pitch, freshman Pip Smalley would send a single to center to bring in Almonte before Gil-Fernandez sent a triple to deep right to bring in Hairston and Smalley to make it 7-2 SCF. Clarke would then close the bottom of the sixth with the defense behind him.

Zeigler would then enter the seventh inning for Clarke where he would get out of a jam with a runner on third and strikeout the last batter.

The Manatees would add their final runs of the game as Gil-Fernandez would send a shot to left-center for his fourth home run of the season and his first collegiate grand slam of to make it 11-2 SCF.

“There was no pressure and I just wanted to help out my team,” said Gil-Fernandez on his first grand slam. "I was trying to hit the ball to the middle and get a single. The good pitch came and I was really emotional about it. It was the hit of the game.”

The Buccaneers would add one final run of their own off of a passed ball before freshman Daniel Hartley was able to get the final out and seal the victory for the Manatees.

Clarke would improve to 4-1 after giving up two runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts in six innings of work.

Ziegler would give up one run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in one and two-thirds innings of relief, while Hartley threw one-third of a scoreless inning of relief.

“I felt good on the mound,” said Ziegler. “The first inning was no trouble and there was a lot of weak contact. While I couldn't get the second inning fully done, Daniel (Hartley) helped me out and kept the mercy rule in tact.”

Burch would fall to 1-1 after giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts in five innings. Freshman Josiah Velazquez would give up seven runs (four earned) on six hits with four strikeouts in three innings of relief.

Four Manatees had a multi-hit game. It was Gil-Fernandez that would lead the way in hitting as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs, one walk and seven RBI. In fact, he was a double shy of his first cycle.

“Allan is a good hitter and has had a lot of success with us,” said Hill II on Gil-Fernandez. “He had some really big hits for us, including that grand slam that set the bar and shorten the game for us. He did a really good job.”

Hairston (2-for-4), Smalley (2-for-3) and Garrido (2-for-4) rounded out the order with two hits each. Hairston added three runs scored, while Smalley added one RBI, two runs scored and a walk and Garrido added one RBI, one run and one stolen base.

Almonte (1-for-4, two runs and one walk), Gustavson (1-for-5, one RBI) and freshman Luke Boykin (1-for-5) had the remaining three hits while Ordonez (one run scored) also contributed in the game.

For the Buccaneers, redshirt freshman Nick Pereria lead the way in hitting as he went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Seminole State College of Florida (15-9, 4-6 Citrus) defeated Central Florida (14-10, 5-5 Citrus) 18-10 in eight innings.

Miami Dade (12-12, 6-4 Citrus) defeated Santa Fe (14-10, 5-6 Citrus) 12-0 in five innings via mercy rule.

Daytona State (12-10, 4-6 Citrus) defeated St. Pete College (7-15, 2-8 Citrus) 11-2 in six innings via mercy rule.

Indian River State (14-7, 6-4 Citrus) defeated Eastern Florida State (13-10-1, 5-5 Citrus) 4-1.

Polk State (13-14, 4-6 Citrus) defeated Hillsborough (14-10, 5-5 Citrus) 6-2.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #17 Florida Southwestern (17-7, 8-2)

2. SCF (16-8, 6-4)

3. Indian River State (14-7, 6-4)

4. Miami Dade (12-12, 6-4)

5. Hillsborough (14-10, 5-5)

6. Central Florida (14-10, 5-5)

7. Santa Fe (14-9, 5-4)

8. Eastern Florida State (13-10-1, 5-5)

9. Seminole State College (15-9, 4-6)

10. Daytona State (12-10, 4-6)

11. Polk State (14-14, 4-6)

12. St. Pete (7-15, 2-8)

Up Next:

The Manatees will look to go for a sweep over #17 Florida Southwestern as they welcome the Buccaneers to Robert C. Wynn Field for a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, March 9 at 1 and 4 pm.

Sophomore Ed Wagner (2-2, 4.75 ERA) will be given the nod to start game one while classmate Bryan Gomez (2-0, 4.66 ERA) will start game two.

SCF Baseball Beats SPC

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF baseball team (15-8, 5-4 Citrus) were able to pull off a win for non-conference play as they defeated St. Pete College (7-14, 2-7 Citrus) 9-5 at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium in Clearwater.

“We started off really well with a big inning in the third,” said head coach Tim Hill II. “We have been traveling a lot and it hasn't been easy for us. St. Pete is a good program and a tough conference opponent when we play them in conference in April. I wanted to challenge the guys to play well and they did.”

“I thought we did well and came out really hot” said freshman Palmer O’Beirne. “We were hot with our bats and made a lot of good plays on the field. While we did make a few mistakes, we overcame those and were able to come out on top.”

“Very good hitting for us today,” said sophomore Erick Almonte. “While we were a little sloppy, it did not matter because we were the victors in this game.”

Hill II sent O’Beirne (3-0, 3.97 ERA) to the mound, while St. Pete head Oscar Espada went with sophomore Jeff Polledo (1-2, 10.13 ERA) to counter.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would get on the board first as sophomore Luis Garrido would bring in freshman Hayden Gustavson. The Manatees would increase their lead further at the top of the third beginning with a leadoff walk by sophomore LT Cockrill. After Almonte hit a single to left and advanced to scoring position on a throw, sophomore Jalen Hairston, who celebrated his birthday, sent a single to left to bring in Cockrill before freshman Pip Smalley sent a double to right to bring in Almonte and Hairston. After back-to-back singles by Gustavson and freshman Allan Gil-Fernandez loaded the bases, classmate Luke Boykin would poke a single to left to bring in Smalley and Gil-Fernandez. One batter later, after a  bunt single by Garrido, Cockrill would show his speed and send a triple to right to bring in Garrido before the Manatees batted around with Almonte sending an infield single to short to bring in Cockrill and make it 9-0 SCF.

The Titans would try to cut the deficit between the fourth and eighth inning, but a final showing hy Smalley would seal the victory for the Manatees.

O’Beirne would earn a no-decision after throwing three scoreless innings with two hits and six strikeouts.

“I felt really good,” said O’Beirne. “I just went out there with the mentality of attacking hitters and throwing what I want to throw to work it out for me.”

“Palmer's pitching was very good,” said Hill II on O’Beirne. “He threw a lot of strikes and was in control which helped him utilize his breaking ball when he needed to. I thought he looked really well.”

Freshman Dylan DeLeo would improve to 2-0 after throwing one and two-third scoreless innings with three walks and two strikeouts.

Polledo would drop to 1-2 after giving up nine runs on 10 hits with two walks and one strikeout in three innings of work.

Four Manatees had a multi-hit game. Smalley (2-for-4) and Boykin (2-for-4) lead the way in offense as they each had two hits, one run, one walk and two RBI. Smalley also threw one scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout.

Almonte (2-for-4) and Gustavson (2-for-5) rounded out the order with two hits apiece. Almonte added an RBI, one run and two walks, while Gustavson added one run.

"I felt good at the plate," said Almonte. "I'm just working on a few things, but it was a good result in the end."

Hairston (1-for-5, one RBI, one run and one stolen base), Gil-Fernandez (1-for-3, one run and two walks), Garrido (1-for-4, one RBI and one run), Cockrill (1-for-4, one RBI, two runs and one walk) and sophomore Jayce Blalock (1-for-1, one walk) had the remaining five hits while sophomore Preston Wetherell (one inning of relief with one strikeout) and freshmen Gavyn Bowen (one inning of relief) and Aidan McBride (one and a third innings of relief with one strike out) also contributed in the game.

For the Titans, freshman Jose Rangel lead the way in hitting as he went 3-for-4 at the plate, while classmate Dylan Andino lead the way offensively after going 1-for-3 with three RBI.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #17 Florida Southwestern (17-6, 8-1)

2. SCF (15-8, 5-4)

3. Indian River State (13-7, 5-4)

4. Central Florida (14-8, 5-4)

5. Hillsborough (14-9, 5-4)

6. Santa Fe (14-9, 5-4)

7. Eastern Florda State (13-9-1, 5-4)

8. Miami Dade (11-12, 5-4)

9. Seminole State College (13-9, 3-6)

10. Daytona State (11-10, 3-6)

11. Polk State (12-14, 3-6)

12. St. Pete (7-14, 2-7)

Up Next:

The Manatees will resume conference play as they face #17 Florida Southwestern (17-6, 8-1 Citrus) for their next three-game series. Game one will take place at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers Thursday afternoon, March 7 at 2 pm while games two and three will take place at Robert. C. Wynn Field in Bradenton Saturday afternoon, March 9 at 1 and 4 pm.

Sophomore Brandon Clarke (3-1, 5.27 ERA) will be give the nod to start game one on Thursday, while classmate Ed Wagner (2-2, 4.75 ERA) will start the first game of the doubleheader Saturday 

SCF Softball Sweeps Miami Dade

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (10-6, 4-4 Citrus) were able to secure their first sweep in Citrus Conference play as they defeated Miami Dade (7-10, 5-4 Citrus) 5-1 and 11-1 (5) at home.

"We had two good team wins today," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We were able to carry over ou practice to our game, which felt really good. I told the team that we need to be present in the moment and focus on what we can do as a team.

"I thought the team did great," said sophomore Jaylin Padro. "We all worked really well together as a team and that showed in our outcome. It felt really good to have our first sweep in conference play as we played like the team we are. After this sweep, we all feel like no one can beat us."

Game One:

Schuerman sent freshman Julianna Stachowicz (4-1, 1.22 ERA) to start game one, while Miami Dade head coach Gina De Aguero went with freshman Aimi Tohara (4-4, 2.82 ERA) to counter.

In the bottom of the first, the Manatees would draw on the scoreboard first as sophomore Alissa Kessler would send a double to left-center to bring in sophomore Haley Rosenbaum for the first run of the game. 

At the top of the second, Stachowicz faced a little trouble with a runner on base. After freshman Jaiden Tretter hit a single, classmate Gessenia Hernandez, the runner on first, would try to score off of the single, but strong teamwork by Rutherford, Rosenbaum and sophomore Taylor Halback lead them to tag Hernandez out at home and prevent her from scoring to end the to of the second.

The Manatees would then increase their in the bottom of the second beginning with leadoff single by freshman Ryleigh Bennett. After classmate Lydia Denton moved Bennett with a sacrifice bunt, sophomore Karsyn Rutherford would reach first on a fielding error while Bennett scored before stealing second. After classmate Stephanie Oaks drew a walk and Rosenbaum reached first on a fielding error, Rutherford would score on the same error to make it 3-0 SCF.

The Sharks would then get on the board at the top of the third as freshman Dana Piri would bring in the run with a bases-loaded walk. The Manatees would respond in the bottom half of the inning as Kessler would showcase her power with a leadoff solo home run to center for her first of the season.

At the top of the fourth, Schuerman would pull Stachowicz and send Bennett to the mound to pitch in relief to success. In the bottom half of the inning, Stachowicz would bring in the Manatees' final run of the game as she sent a double to center to bring in freshman Avery Arrington to make it 5-1 SCF. From there, Bennett would finish off the rest of the game to seal the victory for game.

Stachowicz would improve to 5-1 after giving up one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in three innings. She was also 1-for-3 with an RBI at the plate. Bennett would throw four scoreless innings of relief, giving up two hits with three strikeouts. She was also 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Tohara would fall to 4-5 after throwing giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in six innings.

Kessler would lead the Manatees in hitting and offense as she went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. She was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game for game one.

Oaks (1-for-2, one walk and one stolen base), Denton (1-for-2) and freshman Hailey Margetis (1-for-3) had the remaining three hits, while Arrington (one run), Rosenbaum (one run, one walk and one stolen base) and Rutherford (one run, one walk and two stolen bases) also contributed in the game.

Hernandez, Piri, Tretter and freshman Kiana Kedena each had one of the Sharks' four hits.

Game Two:

Looking to complete the sweep, Schuerman sent Stachowicz back to the mound to start game two, while De Aguero went with freshman Carina Amarilla (0-1, 3.92 ERA).

The Sharks would get on the board first at the top of the first as Hernandez would drive in a run with a bases loaded walk. After not scoring in the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would respond in the bottom of the second as Kessler would once again show her power and send a leadoff solo homer to left for her second of the season. After a single by Bennett before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Denton and freshman Saremi Flores drawing a walk, Padro would send a single to right to bring in Bennett and give the Manatees a 2-1 lead. After Rutherford drew a walk to load the bases, Rosenbaum would draw a walk of her own and bring Flores home to make it 3-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would pull off one of their best innings this season beginning with leadoff single by Kessler before freshman Olivia Rogers came in to pinch run. After Bennett drew a walk and Denton moved both runners to scoring position with another sacrifice bunt, Flores would send a single to center to bring in Rogers and Bennett for her first collegiate hit. After a single by Padro, Rutherford would hit an infield single to short to bring in Flores before Rosenbaum loaded the bases with a walk. After Margetis hit into a fielder's choice to reload the bases, Stachowicz would reach base on a fielding error while Rutherford and Rosenbaum score before Kessler, Bennett and Denton would hit three straight RBI singles to make it 11-1 SCF before they sealed the victory for the sweep and invoke the mercy rule.

Stachowicz would improve to 6-1 after giving up one unearned run on one hit with two walks and four strikeouts in three innings. Sophomore Brielle Bostow would throw two scoreless innings of relief while giving up one hit.

Amarilla would fall to 0-2 after giving up three runs on two hits with four walks in one and a third innings. Freshman Lais Ihy would give up eight runs (three earned) on eight hits with three walks in two and two-thirds innings of relief.

Kessler would lead the way in offense as she went 3-for-3 with a home run, two run and two RBI. She would finish 5-for-6 with two home runs and four RBI in both games.

"Alissa needed to shorten up her swing and believe she still had power," said Schuermna on Kessler. "She made adjustments and had great at-bats."

Padro would have one of her best hitting games in her collegiate career as she went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

"I felt really good at the plate," said Padro. "I was seeing the ball really well and I just wanted to do my part for the team."

Padro also reflected on playing against Miami Dade as she transferred from them this season.

"I respect Miami Dade," said Padro on facing her former team. "Nevertheless, SCF is my home now and we played well as a team today. It made those awkward situations easier with my team behind me.

Flores would round out the offense as she finished 1-for-2 with two RBI, one walk and two runs.

Bennett (1-for-1, two runs, one RBI, two walks and one stolen base), Denton (1-for-1, one RBI and one walk) and Rutherford (1-for-1, one run, one RBI, two walks) had the remaining three hits, while Rosenbaum (one run, one RBI and two walks) and Margetis (one run scored) also contributed in the game.

For the Sharks, sophomore Atavya Fowler and freshman Ty Ceravantes had the lone two hits.

Notes:

The wins for #267 and #268 for Schuerman and will need 32 to become the second head coach in program history to reach 300 career wins.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

#14 Eastern Florida State (17-5, 2-4 Citrus) split with Daytona State (9-11, 2-6 Citrus) losing game one 4-3 before winning game two 4-2.

#13 Seminole State College (14-6, 4-4 Citrus) swept Polk State (6-10, 0-6 Citrus) 13-6 and 13-5 (5).

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #3 Florida Southwestern (19-1, 6-0)

2. #4 Indian River State (18-1, 6-0)

3. #8 Central Florida (13-5, 4-0)

4. Santa Fe (12-7, 3-1)

5. Miami Dade (7-10, 5-4)

6. #13 Seminole State College (14-6, 4-4)

7. SCF (10-6, 4-4)

8. #14 Eastern Florida State (17-5, 2-4)

9. St. Pete (9-13, 2-4)

10. Daytona State (9-11, 2-6)

11. Hillsborough (6-12, 1-6)

12. Polk State (6-10, 0-6)

Up Next:

The Manatees will head on the road for their next two conference doubleheaders as they travel to Fort Pierce to take on #4 Indian River State (18-1, 6-0 Citrus) at the IRSC Softball Complex Saturday afternoon, March 9 at 1 and 3 pm before traveling to Fort Myers to take on #3 Florida Southwestern (19-1, 6-0 Citrus) Tuesday afternoon, March 12 at 2 and 4 pm at Buccaneers Park.

SCF BVB Clips Lake Sumter

Tavares, Fla - While spring break is underway, the SCF beach volleyball team (7-2, 7-0 Region 8) kept their foot on the gas pedal to start their spring break with a win over Lake Sumter State (4-4, 3-3 Region 8) by a score of 4-1 at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares to remain on top for conference play.

The duo of sophomore Caelan Cook and freshman Katrina Tallo would defeat sophomore Allie Cox and freshman Rylee Martineau 21-16, 21-14 at the #5 pair. After sophomore Bailee Perry and freshman Morgan McGuire fell at the #4 spot, the freshmen duo of Aleksandra Wrobel and Addison Beaver defeated sophomore Cassidy Rountree and freshman Kai Register with a 21-13 pair decision at the #3 pair spot to take the lead.

From there, the duo of sophomore Amanda Goudinho Pizzol and freshman Teresa Briefeneder would defeat sophomore Elaina Reynolds and freshman Hana Roberts with a 21-12 pair decision at the #1 pair spot before the duo of sophomore Kayla Gentry and freshman Rhea Kohl defeated sophomore Marisa Hauser and freshman Martina Soler Marti 21-12, 21-13 at the #2 pair spot.

Other Region 8 Scores:

Palm Beach State (8-4, 4-1 Region 8) shutout Ave Maria University (5-3, 5-0 Sun) 5-0 on the road.

NJCAA Region 8 Standings:

1. SCF (7-2, 7-0)

2. Palm Beach State (8-4, 4-1)

3. Lake Sumter State (4-4, 3-3)

4. St. John's River State (1-8, 1-6)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-5, 0-5)

Up Next:

The Manatees will take a few days to themselves before they return to action to take on Palm Beach State College Friday afternoon, March 15 at 2 pm.

SCF BVB Readies for Lake Sumter

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF beach volleyball team (6-2, 6-0 Region 8) will look to continue conference play on a strong note for their next matchup. The Manatees will first travel to Tavares, Florida to take on Lake Sumter State (4-3, 3-2 Region 8) at Hickory Point Beach Monday morning, March 4 at 11 am.

NJCAA Region 8 Standings:

1. SCF (6-2, 6-0)

2. Palm Beach State (7-4, 4-1)

3. Lake Sumter State (4-3, 3-2)

4. St. John's River State (1-8, 1-6)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-5, 0-5)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of completing a sweep on the road in Palatka where they defeated St. John's River State and Palm Beach State both by a score of 3-2. The sweep in conference play kept them in first place in conference.

As far as the leading pair, sophomore Kayla Gentry and freshman Rhea Kohl lead the way for the Manatees as the #1 pair as they are 6-0 this season. In fact, they are the only unbeaten pair on the Manatees so far. Additionally, Kohl is 7-0 overall in pair play as she also has a win with freshman Aleksandra Wrobel.

Wrobel and freshman partner Addison Beaver as well as the duo of sophomore Bailee Perry and freshman Morgan McGuire follow behind Gentry and Kohl and both teams are 5-1 overall.

Scouting Lake Sumter State:

The Lakehawks are coming off of 3-2 win over St. John's River State. They are currently third in conference play.

The freshman duo of Kai Register and Braelyn Mittauer lead the way as the #4 pair.

How to Keep Up:

Fans can keep up with the Manatees on all social media platforms

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball/ (SCF Volleyball)

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SCFVolleyball (@SCFVolleyball)

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scfbeachvolleyball/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D (@SCFBeachVolleyball)

SCF Baseball Set for Midweek showdown Upon FSW

Bradenton, Fla. - The SCF baseball team (14-8, 5-4 Citrus) will look to keep moving along in Citrus Conference play for their next. The Manatees will first head to Clearwater to take on St. Petersburg College (6-14, 1-8 Citrus) for a brief non-conference showdown at Jack Russell Stadium Monday night, March 4 at 5 pm before their three-game series with RV Florida Southwestern State (18-6, 8-1 Citrus). Game one will take place at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers Thursday afternoon, March 7 at 2 pm before resuming the series in a doubleheader at Robert C. Wynn Field Saturday afternoon, March 9 at 1 and 4 pm.

Citrus Conference Standings:

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

2. Indian River State (13-7, 5-4)

3. Central Florida (14-8, 5-4)

4. SCF (14-8, 5-4)

5. Hillsborough (14-7, 5-4)

6. Santa Fe (14-9, 5-4)

7. Eastern Florida State (13-9-1, 5-4)

8. Miami Dade (12-11, 5-4)

9. Seminole State (13-9, 3-6)

10. Daytona State (11-10, 3-6)

11. Polk State (12-14, 3-6)

12. St. Pete (7-13, 2-7)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of taking their second series in conference play over Daytona State. They would win 11-3 in seven innings at home for game before splitting their doubleheader losing game one 11-10 in eight innings before winning game two 11-5 in seven innings. Currently, the Manatees are in a seven-way tie for second  place with Indian River State, Central Florida, Hillsborough, Santa Fe, Eastern Florida State and Miami Dade, but hold a fourth place lead in the standings.

Beast Breaking Pitching:

Sophomore Brandon Clarke continues to improve on the mound since being the ace starter for the Manatees. Clarke is currently 3-1 with a 5.27 ERA, 11 walks and 47 strikeouts. In the opening game against Daytona State, Clarke threw a seven inning complete game with one walk and a career-high 12 strikeouts.

Beast Bats:

Sophomores Jalen Hairston, Santiago Ordonez, Erick Almonte and Luis Garrido and freshmen Hayden Gustavson, Pip Smalley, Allan Gil-Fernandez and Walker Vanecek are the key hitters for the Manatees so far.

Hairston is currently batting .391 with 34 hits, 26 runs, four home runs and 25 RBI. In the series against Daytona State, the upcoming transfer for the University of Kentucky went 5-for-13 (.385) with a home run and two RBI.

Ordonez is batting .422 with 19 hits, 13 runs and seven RBI. The transfer from Florida State went 3-for-7 against Daytona with three RBI.

Almonte, who has recently returned to the lineup from injury, is batting .440 with 11 hits and six RBI. The upcoming transfer for the University of Central Florida went 8-for-14 (.571) with five RBI against Daytona Statr.

Garrido went 7-for-12 (.583) with three RBI against Daytona State. The transfer from Wabash Valley CC is currently batting .321 with 26 hits and eight RBI.

Gustavson is batting .348 with 26 hits, one home run and 10 RBI.

Smalley is batting .356 with 21 hits, two home runs and 12 RBI.

Gil-Fernandez is batting .326 with 29 hits, three home runs and 30 RBI.

Vanecek, who has come off the bench with some sparks, is batting .333 with 11 hits, one home run and 15 RBI.

Wilding Factors:

As far as the wildcard players, sophomores Preston Wetherell, Bryan Gomez, Ed Wagner and LT Cockrill and freshmen Trevor Zeigler, Luke Boykin and Palmer O'Beirne play the roles.

Wetherell is batting .283 with 13 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.

Gomez is 2-0 with a 4.71 ERA, 17 walks and 27 strikeouts. In the final game against Daytona State, the New Yorker threw four innings with two walks and three strikeouts for the win.

Wagner is 2-2 with aa 4.75 ERA, 13 walks and 32 strikeouts.

Cockrill is batting .296 with eight hits, one home run and six RBI. He hit his first home run of the season in the 11-10 loss to Daytona State.

Ziegler is currently 0-1 with a 5.21 ERA, two saves, 15 walks and 19 strikeouts. He earned his second save after throwing three scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts.

Boykin is batting .266 with 21 hits, two home runs and 19 RBI.

O'Beirne is 3-0 with a 3.97 ERA, seven walks and 16 strikeouts on the mound.

Scouting St. Pete:

The Titans are coming off of losing their series to Central Florida. They would fall 9-6 in game one before splitting their doubleheader on Friday winning game one 2-1 in 11 innings before losing game two 11-1 in five innings. They are currently in last place in the Citrus Conference.

Sophomore Colton Pizzio leads the way in hitting as he is batting .436 with 24 hits and seven RBI, while classmate Brett Wagner leads the offense batting .377 with 20 hits, two home runs and 13 RBI.

Sophomore Esaid Pena leads the Titans on the mound going 3-1 with a 3.42 ERA, 13 walks and 27 strikeouts.

Scouting FSW:

The Buccaneers are coming off completing their second sweep in conference where they defeated Hillsborough in all three games (7-5, 11-1 and 10-6). They are currently in first place in the Citrus Conference and have received votes in the NJCAA Top 20 Poll. Prior to playing SCF, the Buccaneers will play Indian River State in a non-conference game Tuesday, March 5.

On the mound, redshirt freshman Jordan Huskey, a transfer from the University of Arkansas, leads the way going 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA, 10 walks and 29 strikeouts.

At the plate, sophomore Victor Figueroa, a transfer from Mississippi Valley State University, is batting .488 with 40 hits, eight home runs and 31 RBI.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided for all four games via GameChanger. The game against St. Petersburg College will air livestream on the SPC Athletics Page. Game one against FSW will air on the FSW Buccaneers Athletics Page, while the doubleheader at SCF 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

Livestream Links - 

SCF vs St. Pete:  https://athletics.spcollege.edu/broadcast/watch

SCF vs FSW (Gm One):  https://www.fswbucs.com/fswbucslive

SCF vs FSW (Doubleheader):  https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/

X - https://twitter.com/SCFBaseball

SCF Beach VB Remains on Top in Sweep

Palatka, Fla - The SCF beach volleyball team (6-2, 6-0 Region 8) continued to be on top of conference play as they swept their matches beating both St. John's River State (1-8, 1-6 Region 8) and Palm Beach State (7-4, 4-1 Region 8) by a score of 3-2.

SCF vs SJR:

The duo of sophomore Caelan Cook and freshman Katrina Tallo would fall to sophomore Taylor Delaney and freshman Becky Theim by a score of 21-12, 21-15 at the #5 spot. The Manatees would answer back as sophomore Bailee Perry and freshman Morgan McGuire would defeat the freshman duo of Summer Replogle and Taylor Vecchione at the #4 spot by a score of 21-12, 21-19 before the freshman duo of Aleksandra Wrobel and Addison Beaver   gave the Manatees the lead as they defeated sophomore Camryn Deem and freshman Hannah Hamill at the #3 spot by a score of 21-12, 21-16.

The Lady Vikings would retie the match as sophomore Amanda Goudinho Pizzol and freshman Teresa Briefeneder fell to the pair of sophomore Gianna San Fillipo and freshman Gianna Mora at the #2 spot in three sets (16-21, 21-14, 13-15) at the #2 spot, but the duo of sophomore Kayla Gentry and freshman Rhea Kohl defeated the freshmen duo of Ashlyn Campbell and Lauren Herz at the #1 spot by a score of 21-10, 21-6.

Following SCF's victory, Palm Beach State would shutout St. John's River State 5-0.

SCF vs PBSC:

Cook and Tallo would redeem themselves as they defeated the freshmen duo of Maria Ustick and Isabel Schattauer in three sets at the #5 spot (20-22, 21-9, 15-13). The Lady Panthers would tie the matchup as Perry and McGuire would fall to the freshman duo of Giovana Bock and Patrycja Kabala by a score of 21-19, 21-7 at the #4 spot.

Wrobel and Beaver would then defeat redshirt freshman Aleksandra Hamuda and freshman Ava Bowman at the #3 spot by a score of 21-13, 21-15 before Goudinho Pizzol and Briefeneder fell to the sophomore duo of Zuzanna Michalska and Ana Paula Fallas Cruz at the #1 spot by a score of 21-16, 21-9.

All eyes turned to the #2 spot as Gentry and Kohl would defeated the duo of sophomore Marilyn Cesaro and freshman Salome Galvez by a score of 21-14, 21-13.

NJCAA Region 8 Standings:

1. SCF (6-2, 6-0)

2. Palm Beach State (7-4, 4-1)

3. Lake Sumter State (4-3, 3-2)

4. St. John's River State (1-8, 1-6)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-5, 0-5)

Up Next:

The Manatees remain on the road for their next match as they travel to Tavares to play Lake Sumter State (4-3, 3-2 Region 8) Monday morning, March 4 at 11 am.