Baseball team sweeps doubleheader to start season 3-0

The Eastern Florida State College baseball team won both ends of a doubleheader Saturday at Bruce Bochy Field.

The Titans swept the three-game series with 4-3 and 13-3 victories over South Georgia State College on Saturday.

In Game 1, Jesus Portillo retired nine of the first 11 batters he faced in his first start for the Titans and picked up the win, tossing five solid innings, allowing two earned runs on two home runs.

Carlos Cordero got the offense started in a hurry, hitting the third pitch he saw over the left field wall for his first home run of the season. The Titans would make it 2-0 in the second inning as Kevin Smith scored on an RBI single by Luke Lambert.

They would add two more in the third inning as Hector Mangual had an RBI single, scoring Adrian Dominguez and then would later score himself.

Kenneth Robinson pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three to get the save.

Mangual and Smith each finished with two hits in the game.

Michael Fitzpatrick hit a solo home run and Luke Flading had a two-run home run for the Hawks.

In Game 2, South Georgia State College took advantage of some wildness, scoring three times in the first inning.

Zaylen Perry came into the contest with one on in the second inning and struck out two of the next three hitters. Perry would go three shutout innings, striking out three and did not allow a hit.

That would allow the offense to get back into the contest, scoring four times in the second inning. Eddie Novoa had an RBI double and Cordero hit a two-run double for the Titans. Eastern Florida State College would score two more times in both the third and fourth innings to take an 8-3 lead.

The Titans would add runs in both the sixth and seventh innings and then scored three times in the eighth inning to end the game.

Cordero, Novoa, Brady Strelitz and Kevin Smith all finished with three hits in the contest as the Titans had 19 hits in the game. Nathan Hook tossed three shutout innings in relief to pick up the win.

Eastern Florida State College will travel to Lake Sumter State College on Monday for a 3 p.m. game.