OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Indian River State College Pioneers came up just short of winning the Citrus Conference title but finished strong with a sweep over the College of Central Florida (CF) Patriots on Saturday in Ocala. The Pioneers won 10-0 and 8-6 to lock up second place behind Florida Southwestern State. CF closed out the regular season in fourth place.
In Game 1, it was all Indian River. Brothers Matt and Jason Lashley provided all the offense the Pioneers needed. Matt blasted his first home run of the season and drove in three runs, while Jason racked up three hits and an RBI. On the mound, Javier Miranda (5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K) and Andris Barroso (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K) combined for a seven-inning shutout.
The Patriots started strong in Game 2, jumping out to an early lead and holding it until the ninth inning when Indian River rallied for five runs to pull off the 8-6 comeback win. CF starter Karson Lindsey pitched 6.1 strong innings, allowing seven hits and one earned run while striking out four. At the plate, the Pats got doubles from Anthony Diaz and Gio Mendoza, a triple from Marcus Bradshaw, and a big day from Dawson Harman, who collected three hits, including his 21st home run of the season — just one shy of tying the school record.
CF ends the regular season at 34-16 overall and 19-14 in the Citrus Conference. The Patriots will hit the road Friday for regional playoff action, though their opponent has yet to be announced. Indian River, which finished 34-14 and 24-9 in conference play, will host their regional matchup.
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WORK WEEK WEATHER: Warm, Mostly Sunny with Late-Week Rain Chances for Ocala
Ocala will see highs in the upper 80s and mostly sunny skies through midweek, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to increase Thursday and Friday.