Box Score WINTER HAVEN – Polk State Baseball's comeback bid came up one hit short on Thursday night as the Eagles fell to Daytona State College on Sophomore Night, 6-5.

Down by five runs at one point, Polk State (29-23, 15-16 Citrus Conference) put the winning run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Jack Muller struck out with the bases loaded to end the two-out rally and the contest.

Down 6-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, Polk State was able to cut into the deficit with three runs in the frame. Zach Lester and Muller opened the inning with consecutive singles before Hayden Testerman's RBI double made it 6-2. After Muller scored on a wild pitch, a Josh Cruz sacrifice fly scored Lester to cut the lead to two runs at 6-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, Polk State was down to its last out with nobody on before Leo Suarez, Bradyn Potter and Marvin Montenegro each drew walks. After Lester was hit by an 0-1 pitch to plate a run, the Falcons turned to Colton Beard. Muller, who had the winning two-run single in the ninth of last week's win over College of Central Florida, went down looking on a 1-2 pitch.

Potter, Muller, Testerman and Lester each had two hits, accounting for all eight of the Polk State knocks. After Daytona State scored in the top of the first, Testerman singled home Montenegro to tie the game at 1 apiece.

David Falloon's solo home run to lead off the fourth inning put Daytona State ahead for good as the Falcons scored twice in the inning. Jack Waddington's three-run blast in the fifth gave Daytona State a 6-1 lead.

After five innings from starter Carson Montsdeoca, Polk State's Aiden Dolan, Anthony Schatz and Dalton Tibbetts combined to keep the Falcons off the board over the final four innings. Dolan struck out six over 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

Waddington finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs for Daytona State. The Falcons got three innings of scoreless relief from Christian Borbely.

The loss eliminates Polk State from contention for the fifth spot and final automatic FCSAA Tournament bid in the Citrus Conference. The Eagles, however, could still get the FCSAA's lone at-large berth. Polk State and the Falcons will wrap up the regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader in Daytona Beach.