Box Score NEW PORT RICHEY – Polk State Baseball again got solid starting pitching on Friday afternoon, but the offense was nowhere to be found as the Eagles fell at Pasco-Hernando State College, 8-1.
Polk State (3-4) had no answer for Pasco-Hernando starter Michael Savarese. Savarese faced the minimum over his six innings without allowing a hit.
Derek Fermaint became the Eagles' first baserunner when he was hit by a pitch in the top of the fifth. He was erased five pitches later when
Kenay Acevedo lined into an inning-ending double play.
As a team, the Eagles finally broke up the no-hitter in the top of the seventh inning on a hard-hit single from
Jordan Thomas off reliever Aiden Ellerts. Trailing 3-0, Polk State put a rally together.
Following a walk to
Hayden Testerman,
Liam O'Neil singled, but Thomas was caught between third and home for an out on the bases. Back-to-back walks to Fermaint and Acevedo brought home a run for the Eagles, but with the bases loaded and the tying run in scoring position,
Simon Scharff struck out to end the threat.
On the mound, Polk State got four solid innings from starter
Jake Echols. Echols allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while fanning five.
The Bobcats drew first blood on a solo home run from Clay Thompson in the bottom of the second. Pasco-Hernando added a run on a fielder's choice later in the inning.
That was all that Pasco-Hernando would get off Echols, but it tacked on against the Polk State bullpen. After Thompson singled home a run in the sixth, the Bobcats added another in the seventh before blowing things open with four in the eighth.
Pasco-Hernando finished with 13 hits to just two for Polk State. Thompson finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Eight of the nine starters had a hit for the Bobcats. Testerman scored the lone run of the day for Polk State.
The teams will have a quick turnaround as the scene shifts to Bing Tyus Yard for a doubleheader on Saturday. Contests between the Bobcats and Eagles are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
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