Baseball team falls to Seminole State in 10 innings

The Eastern Florida State College baseball team dropped the home opener to Seminole State College 5-4 in 10 innings in front of over 300 fans Tuesday night at Bruce Bochy Field.

Freshman Carter Stewart made his Titans debut and pitched four solid innings, striking out seven and allowed two earned runs on two hits. The right-hander gave up two runs in the top of the first inning but finished with a strike them out, throw them out double play. After that he retired the next eight hitters he faced.

Down 2-0, the Titans struck quick as Dilan Espinal doubled and scored on Kevin Silva's double. Silva would score on JD Stubbs' double and the game was tied.

The Titans took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Collier Rutledge walked to lead off the inning, stole second and scored on Clayton Stanley's single. They would keep the lead until the top of the eighth inning when an error led to two runs for Seminole State College. But the Titans weren't done and tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning when Steven Lugo reached on an error, Alvaro Valdez singled and Gabriel Vera bunted them to second and third, bringing up Stanley. Stanley hit a two-strike pitch into the outfield for a sac fly to tie the game but teh Titans couldn't find the game winner.

In the top of the 10th inning, Seminole State scored on a sacrifice fly to once again take the lead. The Titans would load the bases in the bottom of the 10th inning but Vera's shot to left field was caught to end the game.

Silva went 3-for-5 while Vadez finished 2-for-5 for the Titans.

The Titans (2-2) will travel to Seminole State College Wednesday afternoon for a 2 p.m. game. Eastern Florida State College will be back at Bruce Bochy Field Monday evening against the State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota. First pitch is 5 p.m. and admission is free.