Gainesville, FL

The Saints battled back in game one of the doubleheader beating CF 9-4. Central Florida looked good out of the gate offensively scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, but the Saints offense had an answer the entire afternoon. After one inning, CF leads 3-1. In the second inning, Ryan Chase hit a grand slam to give Santa Fe a 6-3 lead. A run in the third inning for the Patriots kept the game close until the sixth inning. A three spot for Santa Fe in the sixth gave the Saints a cushion into the seventh, where Stephen Joyce closed the doors.

The Saints were led by Chase with four RBI in the first game. Zack Dejesus and Erik Blair both drove in two runs. Aiden Andreu played a big part in the lineup going 3-3 and scoring two runs for SF. Lucas Johns got the start for SF going 2.0 innings. Johns allowed nine hits and four runs. Stephen Joyce entered in the third inning and took over. Joyce allowed just two hits while striking out five. 

Game two of the afternoon included lots of runs and lots of homeruns as Central Florida just out edged SF 13-12. Central Florida scored two in the top of the first inning off a two-run homerun, before Santa Fe scored three runs in the first. A run in the second pushed the lead to 4-2 for Santa Fe. The Patriots then scored three runs in the third and six runs in the fourth. In the bottom of the third, Santa Fe put up a three spot. After six innings Central Florida led 13-7. Santa Fe then got their bats going again, a four-run sixth inning cut the deficit to 13-11, before a solo run in the seventh cut it to 13-12. The score was held there for the final two innings of play.

Maddox Lee, Chase, Trey Freeman, and Dejesus all hit homeruns in the game. SF totaled 13 hits in the game, with six guys having two or more hits. Freeman and Lee both drove in three runs. Macklin Miller got the start for Santa Fe. Miller went 3.0 innings allowing eight runs. Donovan Rabiei pitched a flawless 3.1 innings in the back half of the game. Rabiei struck out five batters and walked three.

Santa Fe is back in action on Tuesday afternoon at Florida State College at Jacksonville with first pitch at 2:00 PM.