"I thought we got off to a really slow start tonight," said head coach Tim Hill II. "But after some adjustments, the guys picked it up halfway through the game. Look forward to our conference opener in this new conference format this year against a well-coached and very good club in Seminole State."

 

"While we were slow on the bats to start the game, they started to heat up in the sixth," said freshman Pip Smalley. "I thought our pitching was amazing too."

 

"The pitching was good, the batting was good and our defense was good," said freshman Aidan McBride. "We came in knowing what we had to do get the win."

 

Hill II sent sophomore Bryan Gomez to the mound, while PHSC head coach Lyndon Coleman went with freshman Daleshawn Smith to counter.

 

The first two inning were a pitchers dual between Gomez and Smith as both pitchers exchanged eight strikeouts with Smith having five of them.  At the top of the third, after Gomez gave up a one-out single, Hill II would send sophomore Trey Clucas to the mound for relief. After the pitching change, the Bobcats would take the lead as redshirt sophomore Aidan Corn would bring in the run with an RBI groundout before sophomore Jake D'Altrui scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0 Pasco Hernando. Two innings later, the Bobcats would extend the lead to 3-0 after D'Altrui hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.

 

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees would start to rally to get on the board. Redshirt freshman and former Manatee Logan Waldschmidt would come in for the Bobcats in relief 

 

The sixth would begin with a leadoff double by freshman Allan Gil-Fernandez before Smalley sent him home with a single to center for the Manatees' first run of the game before he advanced to second on a wild pitch. After sophomore Santiago Ordonez reached first on a fielding error and freshman Luke Boykin drew a walk to load the bases, freshman Walker Vanecek, who showcased his hitting against Tallahassee CC, would send a double to deep right-center and clear the bases to give the Manatees their first lead of the game.

 

One inning later, the Manatees would increase their lead. After Smalley (single), Ordonez (walk) and freshman Hayden Gustavson (single) loaded the bases, Boykin would bring power from his bat as he cleared the bases with a triple to right center before sophomore LT Cockrill brought him in with a sacrifice fly to make it 8-4 SCF.

 

D'Altrui would cut the Manatees lead to 8-4 in the bottom of the seventh after an RBI single before sophomore Preston Wetherell was able to finish the inning.

 

At the top of the eighth, the Manatees would make it 9-4 after Gil-Fernandez lined a single to left to bring in sophomore Jalen Hairston. One inning later, the lead would grow to 10-4 after Vanecek drove in Boykin with an RBI double at the top of the ninth.

 

In the bottom half of the inning, Hill II would send freshman Dylan DeLeo to the mound to make his debut. After the pitching change, the Bobcats would add their last run of the game as D'Altrui would hit a sacrifice fly, but it was all they could muster together as the Manatees sealed the deal for the victory.

 

Gomez and Smith would both earn a no-decision. Gomez gave up one run on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts in two and a third innings, while Smith threw three scoreless innings, giving up two hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

 

McBride would earn his first collegiate win after giving up one run on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts in two and a third innings of relief. 

 

"I felt good," said McBride on his first collegiate win. "I know it wasn't the traditional win, but I felt good to get my fist collegiate win."

 

"Aidan was very sharp on the mound," said Hill II on McBride.

 

Waldschmidt would be dubbed with the loss after giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits with two walks and one strikeout in one and one-third innings of relief.

 

Four Manatees had a multi hit game. It was Vanecek that lead the way offensively as he finished 2-for-4 with four RBI, one walk and a stolen base. 

 

"Walker is really playing well," said Hill II on Vanecek. "He has had some big hits for us over the last week and it showed today in the game."

 

Smalley (2-for-5), Gil-Fernandez (2-for-5) and Hairston (2-for-5) rounded out the order also with two hits each. Smalley added two runs and an RBI, while Gil-Fernandez added one run and one RBI and Hairston added one run.

 

"While the first few at-bats were not the best, I was able to pull myself together on a fastball count and not miss my pitch for a couple of hit," said Smalley.

 

Boykin would follow suit in offense as he finished 1-for-3 with three RBI, one run and one walk.

 

Gustavson (1-for-5, one run) and sophomore Luis Garrido (1-for-3, three walks) had the remaining two hits, while Ordonez (two runs and two walks) and Cockrill (one RBI), Clucas (one and two-thirds innings of relief, one unearned run, one walk and two strikeouts), Wetherell (one and two-thirds innings of relief, one run on two hits, two walks and three strikeouts) and DeLeo (one inning of relief, one run and one walk) also contributed in the game.

 

For the Bobcats, D'Altrui would lead the way in hitting and offense as he finished 2-for-2 with a home run a three RBI.

 

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

FSW (7-5) defeated New College of Florida (3-5) 9-4. The Buccaneers will take on St. Pete College (5-4) in a three-game series Thursday and Friday February 15-16.

 

Indian River State (7-3) defeated Palm Beach State (8-2) 10-2. The Pioneers will take on Daytona State in a three-game series Thursday and Friday February 15-16.

 

Santa Fe (9-3) fell to Tallahassee CC (5-5) 20-9. The Saints will take on Polk State in a three-game series Thursday and Friday February 15-16.

 

Hillsborough (8-4) fell to A3 Academy by a score of 7-2. The Hawks will take on Eastern Florida State in a three-game series Thursday and Friday February 15-16.

 

Eastern Florida State (7-4-1) defeated Webber International JV (0-4) 17-3.

 

Daytona State (6-4) defeated St. John's River State (8-6) 7-0. 

 

Seminole State (7-3) defeated Polk State (8-7) 3-2.

 

Miami Dade (7-6) defeated Atlantis University 15-1. The Sharks will take on College of Central Florida (7-3) in a three-game series Thursday and Friday February 15-16.

 

 

Up Next:

The Manatees will play in a three-game series against Seminole State College. Game one will take place at Robert C. Wynn Field Thursday night, February 15 at 5 pm before they travel to Sanford to finish the series in a doubleheader Friday afternoon, February 16 at 12 and 3 pm at Jack Pantelias Field.

 

Sophomore Brandon Clarke (1-0, 6.10 ERA) will be given the nod to start game one at home, while classmates Ed Wagner (1-1. 4.85 ERA) and Liam Best (1-1, 5.89 ERA) will have the nods for games two and three.