GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Santa Fe Baseball nearly dug itself out of a five-run hole in the third game of the Mid-Florida Conference series with Seminole State, but the Raiders were able to hold on for a 5-4 win of the rubber game on the SF Baseball Field.

The Saints were anything but steady defensively behind starter Trent Becker in the game's early going, and the Raiders were able to establish a 5-0 lead through five innings, with two of the runs being unearned for Becker.

SF had their best chance to open their scoring in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded, but the Raiders induced a flyout to escape the trouble.

The Saints scored one run in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run from Jacob Guthrie, his first of the season.

In the seventh, Tyler Shelnut hit his 15th home run of the season, a no-doubter to left field, and the deficit was cut to 5-2.

Becker continued to work his way through scoreless innings late in the game to give the Saints' bats a chance for a comeback.

SF rallied with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, beginning with a double from Jake McKee. Xavier Moronta pinch hit and followed up McKee's two-bagger with a single, then moved to second base on a wild pitch.

After a Bret Madren pinch-hit walk loaded the bases, the right man in Shelnut plated two with a single. With the tying run now at second base, Gabriel Esquivel came to the plate, but Seminole State got a K on a 2-2 pitch to stay in front.

In the Saints' final at-bats, a Wyatt Campbell walk was all SF could muster, dropping the one-run game to conclude the season series with the Raiders.

Key Statistics

Becker threw all nine innings efficiently, and his final line included 11 hits, five runs (three earned), just one walk, and six strikeouts.

SF had eight hits, with Shelnut leading the way with a 3-of-5 performance. Once again, his homer was his 15th of the season, and he drove in three Saints. McKee's double and Guthrie's home run accounted for the other two extra-base hits.

Up Next

Santa Fe (22-20, 10-11 MFC) begins a series with St. Johns River State College (22-22, 10-9 MFC) on Wednesday, Apr. 13 at 6:00 p.m. in Palatka, Fla.