Pats Secure Playoff Spot with Split at Indian River

Photo: Heidi Kearney
Photo: Heidi Kearney

The Pats baseball team travelled to Fort Pierce to play thier final games of the regular season vs the top team in the conference Indian River State. The Pats needed a win or an Eastern Florida loss to clinch a spot in the playoffs and they ended up getting both. The Pats finsihed the season tied for fifth in the Citrus Conference at with Polk State 18-15. Since Polk owns the head to head tie breaker over CF, the Patriots will be the sixth seed and willnext play the Panhandle three seed, Pensacola State, in a play in game on Tuesday at Tallahassee Community College at 5 PM. WInner of the game will advance to the regional round of the FCSAA Tournament which is hosted by the top 4 seads - Indian River State, Northweste Florida State, Florida Southwestern, and Chipola College. 

Game 1: CF 2 - IRSC 6

The Pats couldn't muster up much offense in game one off Pioneers starter CJ Hanson. They scored thier first run in the top of the second on a two-out single by second baseman Logan Chapman. The second run camein the seventh from a Kareh Valentin home run, his 7th of the season. Sebastian Perez took the loss. He threw allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits in five innings and struck out six.

Game 2: CF 7 - IRSC 6

In game two the Pats blasted three home runs to secure the victory. Edwin Toribio hit his 13th and 14th home runs and Mike Guilliams hit his first home run of the season. His three-run home run in the sixth gave the Pats a 6-1 lead. Marcus Bradshaw and Cooper Jones both had multiple hits in the game. It was a team effort on the mound as the Patirots used six pitchers in the game. Jack Garvey got the win throwing two shutout innings. Luke Ridley earned the save, striking out two in his one inning of work to close out the game. It was his fourth save of the year.