GAINESVILLE, Fla. – For the third time in their five meetings and second-consecutive matchup, Santa Fe Baseball ran away with a run-rule outcome over Daytona State, topping the Falcons 10-2 in seven innings at the SF Baseball Field.

The game was tied 1-1 through two innings and SF held just a 3-1 lead through four frames, but the Saints plated seven runs in the later innings to cruise to the victory.

The Falcons scored first with a solo home run off starter Lance Bolton, but he struck out the side, all three swinging.

Jevin Relaford and Tyler Shelnut started the Saints' at-bats with singles, then Gabriel Esquivel had an RBI groundout to tie it at 1-1.

In the bottom of the third, the Saints took their first lead, rallying with two outs. Xavier Moronta doubled, then scored on a Santiago Garavito RBI double. Following a Jake McKee walk, JP Herrholz's single plated Garavito, and the score worked its way to 3-1 in favor of the hosts.

Daytona State scored what would prove to be their final run in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on an SF error.

The Saints countered, however with two runs in the bottom half on RBI singles from McKee and Z. Marquis.

SF took a 7-2 lead with two more tallies in the sixth. Shelnut doubled, then Esquivel scored him and motored all the way to third base with an RBI triple. Esquivel then scored on a wild pitch.

After a 1-2-3 inning from Bolton in the top of the seventh, the game reached its conclusion in the Saints' next at-bats. With two walks and a bunt single, the bases were loaded for Hunter Keen with no outs.

The freshman Keen's double cleared the bases for the walk-off, as he went the opposite way to the corner in right field to get the baserunners on their horses.

Key Statistics

Bolton (4-2) pitched well in his complete game win. The Falcons mustered just four hits with two runs, one of which was unearned. He had no walks and struck out eight batters.

SF finished with 14 hits, and five of the Saints' knocks went for extra-bases. Every bat in the lineup had a hit.

Four players had multi-hit efforts, led by three hits from Z. Marquis. Shelnut, Moronta, and Keen had two hits apiece, while Keen (3 RBI) and Esquivel (2 RBI) were the leading run-producers.

Up Next

Santa Fe (26-21, 14-12 MFC) will conclude their series with the Falcons on Monday, Apr. 22 at 1:00 p.m. in Daytona Beach, Fla.