WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Palm Beach Atlantic's baseball team split the doubleheader Saturday but dropped the opening series of Sunshine State Conference play to Eckerd College. The Sailfish (5-7, 1-2 SSC) took the first game of the day as they came from behind to overtake the Tritons (10-4, 2-1 SSC) late in the game to win 7-6. In the second game of the day the Sailfish got down early and never recovered falling 3-2.
Game 1: Palm Beach Atlantic 7, Eckerd 6
Eckerd wasted no time putting up the first run of the day as they pushed across the plate on a single in the top of the first.
PBA did not wait long to tie the ballgame up as Connor Rowland took a Robin Allen pitch over the left field fence for a solo homerun the Rowland knew was gone right off the bat.
In the top of the third Eckerd collected three runs on three hits and an error off of Christian Denton who would end up getting a no decision in the game.
Palm Beach Atlantic got a run back in the bottom of the sixth when Brandon Seltzer got his first extra base hit of the season on a deep homerun that almost hit the scoreboard past the left-centerfield wall.
Eckerd added two more runs in the top of the eighth on three hits to extend their lead to 6-2. But the Sailfish exploded for five runs in the bottom of the inning. Danny Tufariello reached on an error before Seltzer doubled to bring Tufariello in. Brandon Smith later doubled to left center to score Seltzer. Then Andreas Papageorge grounded out which allowed Rowland to score after singling to get on. After the Tritons cleared the bases on a botched suicide squeeze play the Sailfish reset and eventually Sean Houck would drive in Marcos Perez and Derek Schwimer to take the lead 7-6. The Tritons would fail to score in the ninth to give the Sailfish the win.
Smith had three hits on the day with both a double and a triple. Schwimer, Houck, Seltzer, and Rowland all had two hits apiece as well. The Sailfish had 12 total hits in the game.
Game 2: Palm Beach Atlantic 2, Eckerd 3
The second game of the day started out the same as Eckerd jumped on the board in the top of the first as they put up three runs on five straight hits to start the game. From there the Triton offense would go silent but it would be enough to get the win.
The Sailfish scored in the fourth inning when Seltzer singled up the middle which allowed Riley Herold to score. The Sailfish would also score in the seventh on a single from Schwimer that brought Marco Maleo in to score who was pinch-running for Papageorge who reached on an error.
The Sailfish threatened in the eighth with bases loaded but Cameron Lanzilli was able to work his way out of any danger.
PBA wastes no time getting back on the field as they take on No. 8 North Georgia on Monday night Feb. 25 in Greenville, S.C. in a two game midweek set. First pitch on Monday is slated for 3:30 p.m.
