Baseball Gets Past FSCJ for Third Time, 6-3

Baseball Gets Past FSCJ for Third Time, 6-3
March 17, 2021
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Santa Fe Baseball beat Mid-Florida Conference foe Florida State College at Jacksonville for the third time this season, winning by a 6-3 score at the SF Baseball Field on Wednesday afternoon. 
 
The Saints scored the first three runs of the game in the bottom of the second. After back-to-back singles from Gabriel Esquivel and Dylan Mock, a Tyler Shelnut triple brought them both home. A sacrifice fly from Austin Akey scored Shelnut, and SF led 3-0.
 
FSCJ tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning, capitalizing on four hits in the frame, two of which were for extra-bases.
 
Santa Fe rallied with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to go ahead 6-3. Luke Marquis pinch hit with baserunners on second and third, and came through with a two-RBI single. In the next at-bat, Santiago Garavito doubled to score Marquis, and the Saints established the three-run cushion headed into the ninth.
 
Shelnut, who had entered to pitch in the top half of the eighth, retired the side and Santa Fe claimed their tenth win in their last 11 outings. 
 
Key Statistics
Each team had 11 hits in the game, but runs were scored in just three innings of the game.
 
Shelnut had a great day for the Saints from the batter's box and on the mound, going 3-of-4 with a triple, double, two RBI, and two runs scored. He earned the win from the hill after getting the final four outs, striking out two. 
 
Esquivel went 2-of-4 with two runs scored, and perhaps no hit was bigger than Luke Marquis' go-ahead two-RBI single in the eighth.
 
Wiggs' Words
"We are bringing Brooks Walton back slowly, but he gave us a good four innings," said Head Coach Johnny Wiggs. "I don't think we showed up with the energy and sense of urgency we need to be successful but we got it done in the end. Give credit to their left-handed pitcher, he did a good job of keeping us off balance. Luke Marquis came off the bench and got us a big two-out hit in the eighth."
 
Up Next
Santa Fe (17-8, 7-1 MFC) travels to Lake-Sumter State College on Friday, March 19 at 3:00 p.m.