The College of Central Florida Patriots baseball team welcomed a four-game home stand after being on the road for five straight games. After the dispatching of St. Petersburg College 10-1 on Saturday to avenge their first loss of the season, the Pats took on the Manatees of State College of Florida on Monday. SCF (10-9) jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the top of the sixth inning before the Pats bats awoke in the bottom of the inning. Aaron Saltsman hit a one out triple into deep center field and was brought home on a Bradke Lohry base hit. John Marant then connected on his second home run of the season to make it an 11-6 game. With two outs in the inning Juan Correa homered to right field and Kainen Jorge reached on an error. Kareh Valentin then sent a deep fly ball to right field for his first HR of the season and brought the Pats to within two runs of the Manatees.

 

The seventh inning brought even more heroics for the Patriots when with two outs and two runners on Edwin Toribio hit a three-run home run to deep right center field to give CF a 12-11 lead. An epic comeback from eight runs down, but still two innings to play. CF then brought in closer Cam Schuelke who pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and got out of a jam in the ninth by striking out Kevin Karstetter to end the game and notch his fourth save of the season.

 

The Patriots tallied six home runs in the game: Lohry (2), Correa, Valentin, Toribio, and Marant

Win: Isaac Sewell (3-0) Save: Cam Schuelke (4)

 

In game three of the four game home stand the Patriots overpowered the CCBC-Catonsville Cardinals 13-1. Logan Plasencia (1-0) started on the mound and gave the Patriots a quality start going five innings, allowing only three hits, no runs and striking out eight batters. Ian Moore and Cortland Clarke each tossed an inning striking out a batter each to finish out the run-rule shortened game. The Patriots improve to 15-1 while the Cardinals fell to 0-4.

 

Bradke Lohry went 3 for 4 with a triple and his sixth home run of the season to lead the Pats and is 10 for 14 (.714) with 2 triples, 3 home runs and 6 RBI in his last three games. Other leading hitters in the game included Edwin Toribio with his fourth HR of the season and Aaron Saltsman with his first HR.

 

The Patriots conclude their home stand with a 2:00 PM game on Wednesday against Abraham-Baldwin Agricultural College.