Baseball team takes series from College of Central Florida

The Eastern Florida State College baseball team swept the defending national champion College of Central Florida on Saturday.

The Titans picked up a pair of big Citrus Conference wins, defeating the Patriots 8-3 in the first game and then 5-3 in the second game.

In the first game, the College of Central Florida got on the board first, scoring three times in the top of the second inning.

But starter Kenneth Robinson held them in check, striking out seven over five innings of work. And in the fifth, the Titans bats exploded for eight runs. With two runs already in and the bases loaded, Adrian Dominguez singled scoring both Carlos Cordero and Ryan Cerrone to give the Titans a 4-3 lead. Kevin Smith would hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3 and then with two outs, Laheim Bell hit a three-run home run to right field to give the Titans an 8-3 lead. It was Bell's first home run of the season.

Anthony Cordero would come in and get the final six outs, striking out three to record his second save. Robinson improved to 2-1 with the win.

Bell went 2-for-3 with the home run and drove in three runs.

In Game 2, the Titans would once again rally late to pick up the win. The Titans would open the scoring in the bottom of the third inning as Jeff Davis scored on Ryan Cerrone's single.

Gunnett Carlso would hit a home run to center field in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game 1-1.

It would remain that way until the bottom of the eighth, when the Titans struck for four runs. Jake Cooper gave the Titans the lead when he walked with the bases loaded. Then Bell hit a single that scored Jeremy Rivera. Carlos Cordero would drive a single to center field that would score two more and the Titans led 5-1.

The College of Central Florida would score twice in the top of the ninth, but Nick Anello came in and got the strikeout and then groundout to pick up the save.

Michael Benedict allowed just one run over six innings with three strikeouts. Nathan Hook picked up the win in relief.

Cordero, Cerrone and Bell each had two hits in the game for the Titans.

Eastern Florida State College (9-9-1, 2-4) will host Warner University Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Bruce Bochy Field before starting a three-game series against Seminole State College beginning Thursday. Thursday's game will be at Bruce Bochy Field at 2 p.m. with a doubleheader Saturday at Seminole State College.