Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—After struggling at the plate last week, the Fire were anxious to take the field once again.
It showed, as the Fire came away with an 11-4 win over NCAA Division II Eckerd on Tuesday night at the Turley Complex.
In addition to nine hits, the Fire hitters drew nine walks and a hit batsman.
Starting pitcher Brandon Goff worked six innings, allowing just two runs on six hits, and issued just two walks.
The Fire got on the board first in the top of the fourth on a two-out, two-run single by Aaron Sheaks. The Tritons answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single.
SEU broke the game open in the fifth with a 2-out grand slam by Cody Hoffner to put the Fire up 7-1, after a Willi Martin RBI single earlier in the inning.
Eckerd added a run in the fifth, and two more in the seventh, to cut the deficit to three, but the Fire again went to work at the plate, scoring four in the top of the eighth. Sean Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk, followed by a two-run double by Martin, then a squeeze play by Ricky DeArmas scored Anderson.
Mike Ruppenthal and Ryder Albright allowed a hit each in the eighth and ninth, respectively in relief.
Martin finished the day 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBIs. Sheaks was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
The Fire return to action on Friday when they travel to Warner for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
