Baseball team finishes season with sweep against St. Petersburg College

The Eastern Florida State College baseball team finished the regular season with a six-game win streak, sweeping St. Petersburg College on Saturday.

The Titans finished the season 21-29 overall and 14-19 in the Citrus Conference with the 4-1 and 8-5 victories.

In Game 1, sophomore Parker Trowbridge saved his best for last, tossing a complete game one hitter to help give the Titans a 4-1 win.

Nick Upperman singled to start the game, stole second and third and scored on a groundout in the top of the first inning.

From there, Trowbridge retired 17 straight hitters, hitting Upperman with a pitch in the sixth inning to snap the string.

While Trowbridge was in total control, the Titans could not get a big hit to tie the game. With one out in the sixth inning, Steel Mientkiewicz singled and then with two outs Chris Carroll walked. Jackson Wargo singled scoring Mientkiewicz and then Andrew Prieto came off the bench and hit a two-run double to give the Titans a 4-1 lead.

Jake Richardson and Ray Yero each had two hits in the game. Trowbridge struck out eight including the final two to pick up the victory.

In Game 2, the Titans used some late heroics to once again pick up a victory.

Yero gave the Titans the lead in the bottom of the first inning, hitting a triple and scoring on Prieto's ground ball.

Drew Pynes hit a two-run home run in the third inning to give St. Petersburg a 3-1 lead.

Prieto would make it 3-2 as Yero singled, stole second and took off for third on a pitch that Prieto hit to shortstop. Yero rounded third and scored as the throw went to first for the out first.

The Titans would score twice in the bottom of the sixth inning as Mientkiewicz was hit by a pitch, stole second and third and scored on Shane Thomas' double with two outs. Thomas would score to make it 4-2.

But St. Petersburg would get to Titans starter Couper Gatch in the seventh to tie the game 4-4 and end Gatch's day.

Gatch went 6 2/3 innings, striking out 11 hitters in a no-decision. The Titans turned it over to the bullpen as Shane Patrick got the strikeout to keep the game tied.

Eastern Florida State College would take the lead back in the bottom of the seventh as Yero hit an infield single and scored on Hutson Guinn's sacrifice fly. St. Petersburg would tie it again in the top of the eighth inning as Pynes hit a double and scored on a perfect bunt single.

Down 5-4, the Titans scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning. Chris Carroll led off with a double, Omir Santos singled and would steal second to put runners on second and third for Thomas. The designated hitter would deliver with an RBI single. Santos and Thomas would both end up scoring to give the Titans an 8-5 lead.

Breylynn Courtney finished off the victory with a strikeout to preserve the win.