WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Palm Beach Atlantic baseball team is on a hot streak to start this season. After beating Lane College on Thursday, the 'Fish turned right around and played two games today against Tusculum and Georgia Southwestern State. The Sailfish won both games 2-1 over the Pioneers and the Canes, with their earlier game against Tusculum ending in walk-off fashion. 

Dan Beebe had a solid outing for his first appearance of the 2023 season against Tusculum. He pitched six innings, gave up six hits, only one earned run, and struck out seven Pioneer batters. It was a tightly contested game throughout. The Pioneers were the first to score in the fifth inning on an RBI single up the middle. A crucial play at the plate got the Sailfish out of that inning before any more damage was done. 

PBA was able to tie the game up the following inning. Matthew Faranda got a lead-off single and would later advance to second. Dre Llopiz rocketed a single to right field that would bring Faranda in to score. The relief pitching of Justin Lovell and Chris Seymour held off the Pioneers as the game reached the bottom of the ninth. Nate Housen, in a pinch hitting effort, doubled to right center to give himself a good chance to be the winning run. A terrific bunt from Elias Machado would move Housen 90 feet from home plate. A costly wild pitch from the Pioneers was all Housen needed to cross home plate and give PBA back-to-back walk-off wins. 

Devin Blair, the transfer from Saint Leo, would have a solid Sailfish debut against Georgia Southwestern State. He had a no-hitter through five innings and would pitch seven total, giving up only one run and fanning five batters. PBA struck first in the third inning off of a wild pitch and held on to that one run lead for most of the game.

The Canes from GSWSU would battle back late and score a run in the top of the seventh inning, but PBA answered after a terrific squeeze bunt by Machado that brought a Sailfish runner in to score. Matthew Faranda got the call to pick up the save in the ninth inning and did just that, striking the final batter out. 

PBA has another slate of weekend games next week. The take on Kentucky Weslyan on Feb. 10, Washburn on Feb. 11, and Young Harris on Feb. 12.