Box Score BRADENTON — For Polk State Baseball, it seems to have found a reliable bat off the bench. Kevin Bruner got just one at-bat on Thursday night but changed the game with it as the Eagles rallied for a 4-3 victory over State College of Florida.

Trailing 3-1 in the top of the eighth, Brunet was called on to pinch hit for Josh Cruz. With two on and two outs, Brunet lined a 3-1 fastball over the right field wall for the go-ahead three-run home run.

Brunet had come through over the weekend with a two-run pinch-hit single in the bottom of the ninth in the second game of a doubleheader against Santa Fe College. On Thursday, Zach Lester and Simon Scharff started the rally with back-to-back two-out walks.

Prior to Brunet's blast, all of the offense had come early. The Manatees scored in each of the first three innings. Polk State (10-9, 3-1 Citrus Conference) got on the board in the top of the third when Scharff scored on a wild pitch.

The Eagles got a quality start on the mound from JT Long, who allowed three runs in six innings while scattering eight hits and striking out nine. Aiden Alvarez worked a scoreless seventh to earn the win. Wade Johnson retired the final six batters he faced to earn his fifth save.

Kenay Acevedo finished with three of the six hits for Polk State. Holden Brauner went 2-for-3 with a solo home run for State College of Florida.

The victory snaps a mini two-game slide for the Eagles. The teams will wrap up the season series on Saturday with a doubleheader in Winter Haven.