Box Score MIAMI – Polk State Baseball couldn't hold a ninth-inning lead on Thursday as the Eagles dropped a heartbreaker in 11 innings to Miami Dade College, 3-2.
Santiago Carriles delivered the Sharks with an 11th-inning walk-off single to complete the comeback. It was the third straight loss for Polk State (11-13, 2-5 Citrus Conference) and sixth in eight games.
Polk State took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth. After a beautiful relay cut down the Sharks' tying run at the plate, Carlos Jacome drew Miami Dade even with an RBI double off Polk State closer
JT Long. Long previously stranded the tying run at third to end the eighth.
For seven innings, an RBI single by Miami Dade's D'Angelo Ortiz in the bottom of the fourth accounted for all the offense. Miami Dade sophomore pitcher Juan Miguel Fernandez kept the Polk State bats at bay over seven shutout innings.
The Eagles finally broke through with two runs in the top of the eighth.
Roberto Odor started the rally by drawing a one-out walk. Two batters later,
Damion Kenealy hammered Enrique Sierra's offering over the left-field wall for the go-ahead two-run home run.
Aiden Butler, the starting pitcher for Polk State, bounced back from his worst outing of the year with a gem of a start. Butler worked around some traffic on the basepaths but had few stressful innings.
The right-hander from Tallahassee went seven strong innings, allowing just a run on five hits while striking out six. At the plate, Kenealy had two hits.
Aris Rivera went 3-for-5 for the Eagles in the loss.
Polk State will look to get back on track when the teams meet in Winter Haven for a doubleheader on Saturday. Game times are slated for 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
