Box Score GAINESVILLE – Polk State Baseball busted out the big bats for the start of Citrus Conference play on Thursday. The Eagles set a new season-high for runs scored in a 14-5 seven-inning run-rule victory over Santa Fe College.

After Polk State (8-7, 1-0 Citrus) pushed across a run in the top of the first, the Saints answered with three in the bottom of the inning on a three-run home run from Erik Blair. From there, however, highlights were few and far between for Santa Fe.

The Eagles went ahead for good in the top of the second when Andy Schroeder answered with a three-run bomb of his own to cap a four-run inning. Schroeder leads Polk State with four home runs this season.

Polk State scored in six of the seven innings on Thursday, including a three-run fifth and a four-run seventh. As a team, the Eagles finished with 12 hits. Scroeder went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBIs. Kustarr Webb also had a big day at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and his first collegiate home run – a solo shot in the third.

After allowing three unearned runs in the first inning, JT Long settled in to pick up his first win of the year for the Eagles. The FCSAA leader in strikeouts entering the day, Long allowed just two earned runs on six hits while fanning seven in six innings of work.

In addition to big days at the plate from Schroeder and Webb, Simon Scharff finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored for Polk State. Hayden Testerman, Kenay Acevedo, Zach Lester, and Derek Fermaint also each scored twice in the win. Javier Soto had two of the seven hits for Santa Fe.

With the victory, the Eagles have now won five straight and three straight conference openers. The teams will meet again on Saturday for a doubleheader in Winter Haven. Start times are set for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.