Baseball team falls in high-scoring conference game on the road

The Eastern Florida State College baseball team battled back several times Thursday afternoon in a Citrus Conference game in Ocala.

The Titans lost an offensive battle with defending national champion College of Central Florida 13-12 in the first game of a three-game series. The College of Central Florida will come to Bruce Bochy Field Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at noon.

The Patriots jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning but the Titans would get back into the game as they would load the bases and then Jeff Davis scored the first run with Carlos Cordero right behind him on an error. Adrian Dominguez singled to drive in Ryan Cerrone and it was a one-run game.

Up 4-3, the College of Central Florida would add four more in the bottom of the third including a home run by Gunnett Carlson. Up 8-3, once again the Titans would rally back scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Dominguez hit a three-run home run. Kevin Smith would score later in the inning to pull the Titans to within one, 8-7. The Patriots would score three times in the bottom of the fifth inning to lead 11-7.

The Titans added a run in the sixth and then scored three times in the seventh inning to tie the game 11-11. But as they did all day on Thursday, the College of Central Florida answers with two runs. Eastern Florida State College would score once in the top of the ninth, but they left a runner at third as Luke Lindsay worked out of the jam to get the save.

Saturday's doubleheader will begin at noon and admission to Bruce Bochy Field is free.