Baseball Splits with CF to Take Series

Baseball Splits with CF to Take Series
March 29, 2025

Ocala, Fla - The SCF baseball team (25-13, 13-8 Citrus) were able to take the series and upset #11 Central Florida (27-10, 12-9 Citrus) with a split winning game one 13-0 in five innings before falling 9-7 in game two.

"Today was a tough split after a good performance the first game," said head coach Tim Hill II. "While we didn't finish the job by winning both games, we still won the series. Sweeping conference opponents is not an easy thing to do. Central Florida has a very good team, but so do we. Lochlan (Radloff) was in control the whole way and really competed while the bats really put up some good runs. We're looking to keep improving against a good South Florida State team on Tuesday before facing Indian River State next weekend."
 
Game One:
Hill II sent Radloff (4-3, 4.28 ERA) to start game one of the doubleheader, while Central Florida head coach Marty Smith went with freshman Peyton Fall (3-1, 6.14 ERA) to counter.
 
The top of the first inning became one of the Manatees big innings in the game beginning with back-to-back singles by sophomore CJ Richard and freshman Myles Davis before freshman Ben Ryan sent a single to center to bring in Richard. After sophomore Luke Boykin was hit by a pitch load the bases, classmate Allan Gil Fernandez, who came off of hitting the walk off grand slam in Thursday's game at home, would draw a walk to bring in Davis and reload the bases. Sophomore Mario Trivella would then send a double to left to bring in Ryan and Boykin before freshman Ryan Kaitz drew a walk to reload the bases for sophomore Hayden Gustavson, who would also draw a walk and bring in Gil Fernandez. 
 
This would signal the end for Fall as Smith would send freshman Cooper Ryan to the mound. After the pitching change, Trivella would score off of a double play to make it 6-0 SCF as they batted. The Manatees would add to their lead at the top of the second as Gil Fernandez would hit a double and bring in Boykin to make it 7-0 SCF.
 
At the top of the third, the Manatees would add their final runs on the board. After Gustavson (single), Richard (hit by a pitch) and freshman Clayton Evans (single) loaded the bases and Davis struck out, Ryan would send a single to left and bring in Gustavson and Evans. Boykin would then reload the bases with a single before Gil Fernandez brought in Richard with a single to left and Trivella brought in Ryan with a sacrifice fly to left. Kaitz would then single to reload the bases to have the Manatees bat around before Gustavson sent a single to right to bring in Boykin and Gil Fernandez to make it 13-0 SCF before sealing the victory with the mercy rule in effect and take the series.
 
Radloff would improve to 5-3 after three-hit five inning shutout with five strikeouts.
 
Fall would drop to 3-2 after giving up six runs on four hits with three walks in no innings.
 
All nine Manatees in the starting lineup had at least one hit with four having a multi-hit game. It was Ryan (2-for-4), Gil Fernandez (2-for-3) and Gustavson (2-for-2) that lead the way offensively as they each had two hits and three RBI. Ryan and Gil Fernandez also added two runs each. Boykin rounded out the order going 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
 
Trivella also lead the offense with Ryan, Gil Fernandez and Gustavson as he went 1-for-2 with three RBI and one run. Richard (1-for-3, two runs), Davis (1-for-4, one run), Kaitz (1-for-2) and Evans (1-for-3, one run) also had a hit in the game.
 
Sophomores Marcus Bradshaw, Miles Curley and Armando Guirola each had one of the Patriots' three hits.
 
Game Two:
Looking to take the sweep, Hill II sent sophomore Oscar Hernandez (6-2, 2.96 ERA) to start game two, while Smith went with freshman Jay Jung (3-1, 3.03 ERA) to counter.
 
The Patriots would get on the board first in the bottom of the first as Curley would hit an RBI double. Hernandez would then get out of the inning thanks to a double play. The Manatees would then respond back at the top of the second beginning with a one out double by Trivella. After a single by Gustavson, redshirt sophomore Connor O'Sullivan would ground a single to right and bring in Trivella before freshman Mattie Counts hit a single of his own to bring in Gustavson. One batter later, Ryan would tower a three-run homer to left for his sixth of the season to give the Manatees a 5-1 lead.
 
The Patriots would slowly start to catch up after an RBI single by sophomore Logan Chapman before they took 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI double by sophomore Dawson Harman, an RBI groundout by Curley and a two-run home run by freshman Victor Martinez for his eighth home run of the season. After the fifth went scoreless, Martinez would make it 8-5 with another two-run home run to right for his ninth of the season and second of the game.
 
At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would cut the lead to 8-6 as Boykin would hit an RBI double to bring in Gil Fernandez before the Patriots responded with an RBI single by freshman Tanner Swank in the bottom half of the inning.
 
The Manatees would add one final run at the top of the eighth as Davis scored on a fielding error, but it would be all they could produce as the Patriots took the second game.
 
Hernandez would fall to 6-3 after giving up eight runs on 11 hits with four walks and three strikeouts in five and a third innings. Freshman Austin Monahan gave up one unearned run on one hit with one strikeout in one and third innings of relief, while sophomore Landon O'Donnell threw one and a third scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts.
 
Jung would earn a no-decision after giving up five runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts in three and a third innings. Freshman Jose Paniagua would improve to 2-0 after giving up one run on one hit with four walks and five strikeouts in three and a third innings of relief while sophomore Arturo Ormaza picked up his third save after giving up one run on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts in two and a third innings.
 
Four Manatees had a multi-hit game. It was Davis that lead the way in hitting as he went 3-for-5 with a run. Counts (2-for-5), Trivella (2-for-3) and O'Sullivan (2-for-4) rounded out the order with two hits and one run each. Counts and O'Sullivan also added one RBI apiece.
 
Ryan would lead the way in offense as he went 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Boykin (1-for-5, one RBI) and Gustavson (1-for-3, one run) had the remaining hits.
 
For the Patriots, Martinez would lead the offense as he went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI, while Harmon lead the way in hitting as he went 3-for-5 with three runs.
 
Other Citrus Conference Scores:
Hillsborough (16-19, 8-13 Citrus) swept their doubleheader over Miami Dade (19-17, 10-11 Citrus) 14-4 (5) and 9-4.
 
#7 Indian River State (27-8, 17-4 Citrus) swept Polk State (21-19, 11-10 Citrus) 3-1 and 9-6.
 
Santa Fe (19-19, 10-11 Citrus) swept Seminole State College (21-17, 9-12 Citrus) 12-3 and 15-4.
 
Eastern Florida State (21-16, 10-11 Citrus) split with St. Pete (5-30, 3-18 Citrus) losing game one 5-4 before winning game two 12-2 in five innings.
 

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #7 Indian River State (27-8, 17-4)

2. #13 Florida Southwestern (28-9, 14-7)

3. SCF (25-13, 13-8)

4. #11 Central Florida (27-10, 12-9)

5. Polk State (21-19, 11-10)

6. Miami Dade (19-17, 10-11)

7. Eastern Florida State (21-16, 10-11)

8. Santa Fe (19-19, 10-11)

9. Seminole State College of Florida (21-17, 9-12)

10. Daytona State (11-21, 9-12)

11. Hillsborough (16-19, 8-13)

12. St. Pete (5-30, 3-18)

Up Next:
The Manatees return home for non-conference action as they welcome South Florida State College (25-12, 10-7 Sun Lakes) Tuesday night, April 1 at 6 pm before facing #7 Indian River State for their next conference series.