PENSACOLA, Fla. – UWF baseball (2-6) dropped it second game of the Argo Invitational Saturday evening, suffering a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-inning loss to the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (6-4) at Jim Spooner Field. The Argos, who battled back from 1-0 and 4-1 deficits in, took a one-run lead into the ninth before ultimately falling in the 10th.
"We found a way to comeback and tie it up, had some opportunities late there," said UWF head coach Mike Jeffcoat. "We made some mistakes to let them tie it after we were able to take a lead. Couldn't close it in the ninth. We had another opportunity in the end there after the two-run homer [in the 10th by Nick Kerkmann] draws us within one, but we couldn't find a way to get it done."
UWF starter Kirk Maddox cruised through 4 2/3 innings, sitting down 13 in a row from the end of the first through the beginning of the fifth. He had allowed only one unearned run before the Sailfish bats came to life with two outs in their fifth turn. A hit batsman and then back-to-back singles broke a 1-1 tie and drove Maddox from the game.
Maddox was relieved in the fifth by Hunter Lucas, who gave up a two-RBI single to Sailfish second baseman Eddie Vicinanza. His base hit gave the Sailfish a 4-1 lead before Lucas struck out first baseman Kyle Simon to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, UWF struck back quickly. Nic Strasser and Bryant Harris Jr., who scored the first Argo run of the game on a Vicinanza error in the second, combined for three RBIs in the frame to even the score at 4-4.
Lucas picked up a pair of strike outs in the sixth inning before finding trouble in the 7th. Leadoff hitter Sean Houck reached on an error by Robert Lopez before Vicinanza walked to put runners on first and second for the Sailfish. Avery Geyer came in relief of Lucas and hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. He recovered though, fanning Riley Herold to keep the score tied.
In the eighth, the Argos loaded the bases with just one out. Matthew Estrada helped the team to take its first lead on a sacrifice fly that scored Jacob Silverstein. The Argos would leave the bases loaded though without finding an insurance run.
Avery Geyer remained on the mound for the Argos in the ninth and was tagged for an unearned run. Geyer issued an early walk to Sailfish catcher Marcos Perez, who moved first to third on an error by Kerkmann at first base, one of three in the game by the UWF defense. Simon brought Perez home to tie the game with an RBI single.
With one out and the score tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, Harris Jr. singled. He advanced to second on a wild pitch by PBA relief man Mitchell Carroll. The Sailfish went to the bullpen for the fourth time in the game, bringing in David Paul. Paul immediately issued the fourth HBP of the 8th and 9th for PBA pitching, putting Trevor Payne aboard. He proceeded to walk Jacob Silverstein to load the bases. But for the second straight frame, the Argos would leave three aboard, with Mason Dinesen bouncing into a fielder's choice force at home and pinch hitter Matt Sullivan popping out to end the frame.
Estrada (0-1) pitched the 10th for the Argos and was tagged for three two-out runs on a two-RBI triple by Jake Summey and an RBI double by Vicinanza. The Argos fought back in the bottom of the tenth. Kerkmann hit a two-run homer, his second of the season, off Sailfish closer Johnnie Schneider, but the rally would come up just short as Harris Jr. went down swinging to end the game. Paul (1-0) picked up the win for the Sailfish. Schneider earned his first save.
The Argos return to action tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. UWF will battle Spring Hill (1-5) at Jim Spooner Field to wrap the Invitational.
"Our team is struggling with confidence right now. We've got to bounce back. We've got to figure out a way to get a W tomorrow," said Jeffcoat. "It's very disappointing to lose at home obviously, two in a row at home. The overall record is not good. We've just got to keep finding a way to motivate and show some pride here in what this program is built on."
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