Box Score WINTER HAVEN – A disastrous seventh inning in the field spoiled Sophomore Night for Polk State Baseball as the Eagles fell to St. Petersburg College at Bing Tyus Yard on Thursday, 16-15.

Four errors led to nine unearned runs for the Titans in the top of the seventh. Polk State led 10-6 entering the inning but dropped pop-ups, misplayed flyballs, and errant throws allowed 13 men to come to the plate for St. Petersburg in the infamous inning.

Polk State (24-22, 12-13 Citrus Conference) blew leads of four and five runs on Thursday night. After letting an early 4-0 lead slip away, Polk State Baseball used a five-run fifth to take a 9-4 lead.

After two walks opened the inning, Kevin Brunet plated the first run of the inning with an RBI single. An error plated the second run before Derek Fermaint pushed the lead to 7-4 with an RBI infield single. Fermaint came around to score on a wild pitch before Zach Lester came through with an RBI double.

St. Petersburg erased the early 4-0 deficit with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth. The Titans plated two more in the sixth to cut the lead to 9-6 before the monster nine-run seventh.

St. Petersburg increased its lead to 16-10 with a run in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, Polk State clawed back into it with five runs. Simon Scharff's second RBI single of the night cut it to 16-11 before a St. Pete error brought in another run. Zach Lester followed with a three-run home run to cut the deficit to 16-15.

After Wade Johnson worked a scoreless top of the ninth to give Polk State a chance, Brunet kept the Eagles alive with a two-out single, but Scharff followed by flying out to center.

Lester finished the night with four RBIs while Brunet and Scharff each added three. Jordan Thomas scored three runs. Brunet had three hits.Thomas, Lester, and Scharff each had two hits.

Five different St. Petersburg players had multi-hit games, including Jose Rangel, who went 4-for-6 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Yeriel Pastrana and Mel Rubiera each scored three times.

For the first time this season, Polk State owns a losing record in Citrus Conference play. The Eagles will try to bounce back and take the series on Saturday when the teams meet for a doubleheader at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater.