OCALA, FL (352today.com) – It’s never easy winning both games of a doubleheader on the road in the Citrus Conference, but that is exactly what the College of Central Florida Patriots men’s baseball team did at Daytona State College on Saturday. The Pats won a pitchers’ duel in game one 3-2 and easily won game two 8-2.
In the first game of the doubleheader both teams were strong on the mound as the Patriots’ Kaiden Lopez and the Falcon’s Ace Williams both went 6.2 innings. Lopez (1-0) earned the win allowing only three hits, two runs and striking out six. Williams (2-2) allowed five hits, three runs and struck out six. The Pats took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a Falcons error and didn’t score again until the seventh inning when Gio Mendoza drove in two runs with an RBI single. Daytona loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh when Exio Duque singled home two runs to make it a one run game. Pats’ closer Jose Paniagua came in and got the final two outs to preserve the 3-2 win and earn his third save of the season.
In game two the Patriots scored five times in the third inning on one hit, four walks, three wild pitches, a hit batter, and an error. That was all the runs CF needed in their 8-2 win as Jay Jung started and went 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs and struck out 9 Daytona batters. Niko Janssens earned his second save tossing the final 2.2 innings allowing no hits, no runs and striking out six. Victor Martinez collected three hits, two RBI and scored two runs. Bruno Schafer added two hits with Balint Piros and Juan Concepcion combing for three RBI.
With the series sweep of Daytona State College the Patriots improve to 11-11 on the season and 6-3 in Citrus Conference play, which places them in third. Daytona State falls to 10-11 and 5-4.
CF will hit the road once again this week with a Tuesday non-conference game at St. Johns River State College at 6 p.m. and a conference game at Santa Fe College on Thursday at 2 p.m.