Baseball team falls to Polk State College in extra innings
The Eastern Florida State College baseball team rallied from an early deficit to force extra innings, but lost in 10 innings on Thursday evening at Bruce Bochy Field.
Tied 6-6 in the 10th inning, Polk State College's Andy Schroeder hit an inside the park grand slam home run. The 10-6 loss was just the third of the season for the Titans.
Down 6-2 after six innings, the Titans rallied in the seventh inning for three runs in the seventh inning. Richard Collazo singled and would score on Kevin Smith's two-run home run. Smith hammered a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for his second home run of the season.
Down 6-4 Eastern Florida State College would cut the lead even further as Bo Tabola singled and scored on Bryce Jackson's RBI single.
Kenneth Robinson pitched a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts to keep it a one-run game.
In the bottom of the eighth inning Collazo once again came up big with a double and would score on Jamel Vera's single to tie the game. Kevin Smith hit a line shot but Polk State College first baseman Liam O'Neil caught it to keep the game tied 6-6.
Houston Wills got out of a jam in the ninth as the Titans came up with a chance to win it.
It looked like the Titans would do that as Tabola led off and turned on a pitch, crushing it down the right field line, but it was called foul. Tabola was hit by a pitch later in the at-bat and then Jeff Davis laid down a successful sacrifice bunt. With Tabola on second, Polk State intentionally walked Bryce Jackson. A couple of groundouts ended the threat and sent the game to the 10th inning.
Two hit batters and an infield single loaded the bases for Schroeder.
Smith, Tabola, Ethan Askin and Colazzo each had two hits in the game. Starting pitcher Owen Simmons struck out seven and allowed two earned runs over four innings.
J.T. Long struck out 11 in five innings for Polk State College.
Eastern Florida State College will play Warner University JV in a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon beginning at Bruce Bochy Field. Admission is free and first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
