Box Score TAMPA – Polk State Baseball dominated the season series against Hillsborough Community College, but a season sweep will not be in the cards. The Eagles fell in the final meeting between the schools on Wednesday, 14-6.

Polk State rallied late for victories over the Hawks on Friday and Saturday but a seven-run eighth inning from Hillsborough Community on Wednesday turned the contest into a rout. Trailing 7-1 after six innings, the Eagles (28-17, 10-6 Suncoast Conference) were able to get as close as two.

Ray Mercer's two-run triple highlighted a three-run seventh. Travis Stapleton scored on an error in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-5.

In the bottom of the inning, Polk State pitchers Josh Texidor, Ryan Combs, and Gage Allen combined to allow seven runs on four hits, four walks, and two hit batters as the Hawks pushed the lead to nine. Starting pitcher Breton Cusic allowed three earned runs in 1.1 innings of work to take the loss.

As a team, Polk State left 10 men on base despite collecting just seven hits. Damion Kenealy had the lone multi-hit game for the Eagles, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI. Stapleton scored two of the six runs in the loss.

On a day where Polk State pitchers yielded 11 walks and hit three batters, Everett Martin and Jaydon Bishop were bright spots on the mound. The two worked 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh, respectively, to keep the Eagles in the game. They each retired the side in order on just a combined 19 pitches.

Although Polk State took the first seven meetings between the teams this year, Wednesday's contest was the first decided by more than three runs. Entering the game, the Eagles had won seven straight contests – their second-longest winning streak of the year.

Polk State will look to start a new winning streak on Friday when it travels to take on St. Petersburg College. The first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.