Box Score PALATKA — Polk State Baseball will enter Citrus Conference play on a two-game winning streak. Behind three
Zach Lester home runs, the Eagles took care of business on Tuesday night in their final tuneup before conference action with a 16-6 rout of St. Johns River State College.
Through two innings, Polk State was on the short end of a 2-0 score. The Eagles (8-4) scored in six of the final seven frames.
After
Leo Suarez tied the game with a two-run blast in the third, Lester put Polk State ahead for good with a solo shot to jumpstart a four-run fourth inning. A sacrifice fly by Suarez and an error that allowed another run to score made it 5-2. A balk that scored
Fabian Gavalo capped the scoring in the frame.
Polk State turned the contest into a laugher with six runs in the fifth — all with two outs.
Jack Muller singled in the first run of the inning before two bases-loaded walks and a hit by pitch pushed home three more.
Hayden Testerman followed with a two-run single to make it 12-2.
From there, the Vikings never got closer than seven. Lester, however, wasn't done.
The sophomore from Lakeland added his second solo homer of the night to lead off the sixth. Lester capped the scoring with a two-run blast in the ninth. He became the first Polk State player to homer three times in one game since Jack Duffy accomplished the feat against Florida SouthWestern State College on Feb. 28, 2022.
Lester finished 4-for-6 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Gavalo was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Suarez drove in three runs while
Kenay Acevedo scored three times.
On the mound, six arms saw action for Polk State.
Caden Jensen struck out three over three scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.
Hayden Porter and
Aiden Dolan each struck out a pair during 1-2-3 innings in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
St. Johns River scored two runs each in the first, fifth and seventh innings. Isaac Incinelli finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the loss. Brody Dalton and Maurice Days each hit solo home runs in the seventh. The Eagles outhit St. Johns River, 13-8.
Winners of two straight, Polk State will cap a stretch of four straight road games on Thursday when it opens Citrus play at Eastern Florida State College. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
