Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AUBURNDALE — A daunting opening day task for Polk State Baseball proved to be just that as the Eagles dropped a pair of hard-fought contests to top-10 nationally ranked teams to open the Florida JUCO Early Bird Kickoff on Friday.

The first of two seven-inning games was a 13-7 loss to No. 10 Chipola College. Runs were scored in each of the seven innings, but four-spots by Chipola in the second and fifth innings were the difference.

J'Quann Smith hit the first home run of the season for Polk State. Smith and Aaron Stelogeannis each had two hits in the defeat.

It wasn't a great debut on the mound or in the field for Polk State. The Eagles committed three errors, leading to five unearned runs for Chipola. Aiden Butler, however, worked a scoreless seventh on just 15 pitches — 12 strikes.

Pitchers fared much better in the second game as Polk State fell to reigning FCSAA champion and No. 4 College of Central Florida, 5-2.

Trailing 2-0 midway through, the Eagles drew even with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but a three-run sixth for the Patriots broke the tie. Ray Mercer finished 2-for-4 with a run scored for Polk State. Stelogeannis had the lone RBI for the Eagles (0-2).

Starting pitcher Jaydon Bishop allowed just a run on one hit in three strong innings while striking out six. Central Florida was able to score four runs in four innings against the Polk State bullpen.

The Eagles will wrap up the Kickoff at Lake Myrtle Park on Saturday against Florida SouthWestern State College. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.