Box Score AVON PARK— One night after going off for 16 runs, Polk State Baseball played small ball and used a stellar pitching performance to top South Florida State College on Wednesday night, 4-1.
Evan Koehler gave the Eagles (4-5) another excellent start, allowing just a run in 5.1 innings. Koehler yielded just four hits and hit two batters while striking out seven.
Koehler took the mound with the lead as Polk State scored runs in each of the first two innings.
Ray Bermudez's sacrifice fly drove in
Ray Mercer to get the scoring started in the first.
Travis Stapleton singled to open the second inning before scoring on a wild pitch.
Stapleton doubled the lead with a 2-run double in the sixth. The Polk State catcher finished with two of the team's five hits.
South Florida State College finally got to Koehler in the bottom of the inning, but the Polk State bullpen was able to put out the fire.
Dawson Turner,
Sam Duvall, and
Ryan Combs combined to throw 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. Combs struck out five of the six batters he retired in two innings to close the game and pick up his second save of the year.
The victory serves as the first road win of the season for Polk State. After their first day off since Sunday, the Eagles will return home to face Lake-Sumter State College on Friday.
