BRADENTON, Fla. – Not much went according to script for No. 9 Santa Fe College Baseball (40-10) on Sunday in the decisive Game 3 with the State College of Florida (35-24), as the Manatees closed out the postseason series with a 10-0 victory in six innings played.

The defeat for SF concluded the 2023 season in a stunning way, as the Saints were shutout for the first time in the historic campaign.

GAME-CHANGING PLAYS…

The Saints' first inning was a frustrating one. After both Hunter Keen and Josh Hogue began the game with singles, SCF turned a double play. Runners were still on the corners later in the frame after a Zeth Rodriguez walk, but both were stranded when SCF starting pitcher Ryan Stefiuk earned his first strikeout.

The Manatees proceeded to score four runs in the bottom half to take a quick lead and make it an uphill climb for SF. SCF brought all nine batters to the plate and forced SF to bring two different pitchers out of the bullpen in the early going. The hosts benefitted from three issued walks and an error to put up the crooked number…

The Suncoast Conference Player of the Year, Kevin Karstetter, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second frame, and just like that, the score was 6-0.

Casey O'Dell provided some stability from the mound for SF through the third, fourth, and fifth innings, conceding just one run, but the Saints' bats just never could get going.

Stefiuk found ways to strand baserunners, and seemingly every hard-hit ball resulted in quality defensive plays from the Manatees, with several lined out to Karstetter at third base.

SCF put the run-rule into the realm of possibility in the sixth inning with a single, walk, and RBI single to go ahead 8-0 with O'Dell remaining on the mound.  

With no outs yet recorded and the bases loaded, Victor Sanchez had the walk off single, as the winning run slid in safely before the Saints could desperately attempt to complete the relay from left field. 

TEAM COMPARISON

The Manatees outhit SF 9-5. A double for Jacob Guthrie and Karstetter's home run were the only two hits in the contest that went for extra-bases.

The Saints committed two defensive errors, while SCF had one. Each side left seven on base.  

Uncharacteristically, the SF pitching staff issued seven walks while striking out just one hitter for the Manatees.

SF BATTING HIGHLIGHTS

Drake Harman – 2-3

Hunter Keen – 1-3

Josh Hogue – 1-3

Jacob Guthrie – 1-2, 2B

SF PITCHING STATS

Jacob Phillips (L, 5-2) – GS, 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 R, 2 ER

Jalen Hudson – 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 1 K

Gaven Book – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 2 ER

Casey O'Dell – 3.2 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 ER

IN CONTEXT

The Manatees advance to Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. to play in a four-team, double-elimination bracket for an FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 title May 12 - May 15.

No. 9 Santa Fe (40-10) concludes its 2023 season in Bradenton, a year to be proud of in which the Saints:

• Went a perfect 24-0 in nonconference play and won the season's first 26 games, the best start in SF history…
• Set a new program-record for regular season wins (39), including four over then- No. 1 ranked College of Central Florida.
• Were ranked within the NJCAA Division I Top-10 for the entirety of the season, reaching as high as No. 2 on Mar. 27.
• Took home 11 Mid-Florida Conference postseason awards, including Pitcher of the Year (Tobin Moran). 
• Reached the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament for the 12th time in the past 16 seasons.
• Became just the second team in program history to reach the 40-win mark, with the 2016 Saints winning 42…