PALATKA, Fla. – Xavier Moronta took the very first pitch of the game for a homer at St. Johns River State College, helping to set the tone for a productive day for the Santa Fe Baseball bats in a 10-7 win in the series' first game.  

Although Moronta's home run in the first inning, his first long ball of the season, put the Saints in front, St. Johns River took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second. The Vikings took advantage of a hit-by-pitch, three singles, and a walk off starter Lance Bolton to claim the advantage.

Bolton settled in well to post zeros in the next four innings, however, and the Saints produced the game's next six runs to take a 7-3 lead.

Two of the runs came across in the fifth, when Gabriel Esquivel smacked a game-tying two-run home run to also score Tyler Shelnut, who had doubled in the at-bat prior.

An RBI single from Moronta put the Saints in front in the sixth, then Shelnut crushed a three-run drive over the wall on a 2-1 pitch.

After the Vikings tacked on a single run in the seventh, Bolton got the final two outs of the frame to maintain the three-run gap.

SF took a 9-4 lead in the top of the eighth with two hits and three free-passes. Moronta doubled and scored on a Santiago Garavito single, then Jake McKee walked with the bases loaded for an RBI of his own.

The first three SJR batters reached with singles in the eighth off reliever Jalen Hudson and produced a run, bringing in Wyatt Campbell to pitch. Although two runs scored on an error and passed ball, Campbell did well to get SF out of any more trouble in the eighth, still holding a 9-7 lead.

Zeb Marquis led off the ninth with a single, then stole second. When he advanced to third base on a SJR throw, Moronta once again had a great at-bat, driving in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 10-7.

Although the extra insurance run was helpful, Campbell proved to not need it, as he struck out the side and ended the game leaving an SJR hitter looking.   

Key Statistics

Bolton (3-2) was the winner, going seven strong innings with eight hits allowed, four earned runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Campbell's save was his fourth of the season, as he put the final six outs under his belt with no hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.

The bats produced 18 hits, with the top of the order in particular wreaking havoc. Moronta, Shelnut, Esquivel, and Garavito, the 1-2-3-4 hitters respectively, combined for 13 hits, nine RBI, and all five extra-base hits for SF.

Moronta and Shelnut were each just a triple away from the cycle, and they drove in three runners apiece. Shelnut and Garavito led the way with four hits, while the home runs kept coming from Shelnut and Esquivel, as each are now deadlocked at 16 for the season.

Z. Marquis had a productive day as well and went 3-of-5 with two runs scored and two swiped bases.

Up Next

Santa Fe (23-20, 11-11 MFC) will host the Vikings on Friday, Apr. 15 at 3:00 p.m., as the Saints aim to get rolling with back-to-back wins.