Baseball team's rally falls short against SCF Manatee Sarasota

The Eastern Florida State College baseball team fell short in a back-and-forth contest with the State College of Florida Manatee Sarasota Thursday night at Bruce Bochy Field on the Melbourne campus.

The Titans got on the board first as Elian merejo hit his first of two doubles and scored on Dylan Owens hit to give Eastern Florida State College a 1-0 lead. But walks would catch up to with Titans starter Tyler Keysor as Manatee tied the game in the second inning and took the lead in the third when CJ Alexander hit a solo home run.

SCF Manatee would take a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning before the Titans got one back when Jasson Corniel drove in Merejo who had doubled to lead off the bottom of the fourth.

Down 6-2 in the sixth inning, the Titans came to life as Jasson Corniel hit a two-run shot off the scoreboard for his first home run of the season, cutting the lead to 6-4.

It looked as if SCF Manatee may counter in the top of the seventh but with the bases loaded ad one out, Raynieri De Los Santos Disla came in and struck out the next two hitters to end the threat.

The Titans got things going in the seventh when Kevin Silva was hit by a pitch to start the inning, then Dylan Espinal drew a walk and Cristian Sanjurjo loaded the bases with a bunt single. Silva cut the lead to one, scoring on a passed ball. Dylan Owens tied the game with a sacrifice fly and then Sanjurjo scored on a wild pitch, giving the Titans a 7-6 lead.

But SCF Manatee would score twice in the eighth and another run in the ninth to pick up the win.

Merejo finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored while Corniel was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Sanjurjo also had two hits for the Titans who are 2-2 on the season.

The two teams will meet again on Friday afternoon in Sarasota. It is the first of three straight road games for the Titans who return to Bruce Bochy Field next Wednesday, hosting Daytona State College at 5 p.m.