Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WINTER HAVEN — Polk State Baseball's first Citrus Conference series of the year is a victorious one. The Eagles clinched the series by splitting a home doubleheader with Santa Fe College on Saturday.

Polk State continued to swing the bat well in the first game — an 8-4 seven-inning victory.

For the second straight game, Santa Fe raced to an early lead, pushing across three runs in the second inning. From there, however, Polk State starting pitcher Gavin Dicks settled in and the offense got going.

Andre Mason's first career home run — a two-run blast — got Polk State on the board in the bottom of the second inning. After the Saints extended their lead to 4-2 in the third inning, the Eagles went ahead for good with three runs in the fourth.

Mason drove in his third run of the game with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-3. Hayden Testerman put the Eagles ahead to stay with a two-run single. Polk State used good situational hitting and heads-up base running to add two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth.

Mason, Kustarr Webb, and Simon Scharff each finished with two hits in the victory. In addition to the three RBIs, Mason scored twice. Webb scored three runs. Scharff finished with a run scored and an RBI.

Dicks allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits, four walks, and four strikeouts in five innings to earn the win. Wade Johnson allowed three hits and struck out three in two innings of scoreless relief to pick up his FCSAA-leading fourth save.

Polk State came up one run short in the second game, 6-5.

The Eagles (9-8, 2-1 Citrus Conference) pushed two runs across in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead. After Mason grounded into an RBI fielder's choice, Derek Fermaint gave the Eagles the lead with an RBI bunt single.

The Saints went ahead for good with four runs in the seventh. Up 6-3, Santa Fe looked to be on the verge of running away with things in the eighth but Zane Wright was able to work out of a bases-loaded, nobody out situation.

Polk State brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth following Kevin Brunet's two-run single. Santa Fe's Chase Chappell was able to get the final two outs to complete the three-inning save.

The Eagles got a strong start from Jake Echols, who allowed two runs, one earned, in five innings while striking out five. Liam O'Neil hit his first home run of the year in the loss — a solo shot that tied the game in the third.

Kenay Acevedo and Mason Mojica each finished with two hits for the Eagles. Acevedo also scored a run. Trey Freeman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored for the Saints.

The loss in the second game snaps Polk State's six-game winning streak. The Eagles will remain home to host South Florida State College on Tuesday.