Titans fall short in pair of conference games Saturday

The Eastern Florida State College baseball team battled Daytona State College in a Citrus Conference doubleheader, falling twice on the road.

The Titans lost the first game 4-3 and then rallied back to force extra innings, falling 8-7 in 10 innings in the second game.

In Game 1, the Titans took the lead in the top of the second inning as Ray Yero walked and scored on Ethan Askin's RBI single.

It would not last long as Daytona State College tied it in the bottom of the second inning. It looked like the Falcons would take the lead in the third inning but centerfielder Jake Richardson reached over the wall to bring back a home run to keep things tied 1-1. The Falcons would eventually take a 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Eastern Florida State College's Jake Richardson would tie the game with a single, scoring Steel Mientkiewicz to tie things 2-2 in the fifth. The Titans would take the lead in the top of the sixth inning on Yero's RBI double.

But a two-run home run by David Falloon gave the Falcons a 4-3 lead.

Mientkiewicz went 2-for-2 in the game while starting pitcher Parker Trowbridge allowed two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings of work, striking out four.

In Game 2, Daytona State College jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings but the Titans would strike back in the top of the third inning.

Jackson Wargo's RBI double got the Titans on the board and Hutson Guinn cut the lead to one with an RBI single.

Up 4-3, Daytona State College would score two more in the bottom of the third inning. They would add a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and led 7-3 until the seventh inning.

Richardson once again came up big, hitting a solo home run to make it a 7-4 deficit. It was Richardson's first home run of the year.

It would remain 7-4 until the top of the ninth inning. Mientkiewicz started the inning with a double. With one out, Richardson walked to put two runners on. Jackson Wargo was hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded.

Bryce Jackson made it 7-5 with the ground ball. The Falcons would intentionally walk Andrew Prieto to load the bases again. This time the Titans struck as Omir Santos had a two-run single to tie the game 7-7.

Cade Ginder struck out two to send the game to the 10^th inning.

In the bottom of the 10^th inning, Daytona State College had two on and two out but Exio Duque singled to score the winning run.

Wargo and Hutson Guinn each had two hits in the game.

Eastern Florida State College will be on the road Tuesday, traveling to Pasco-Hernando State College for a non-conference game before starting a conference series with Santa Fe College on Thursday in Gainesville.