Gainesville, FL

GAME 1 FINAL: Santa Fe Saints 8, SGSC Hawks 6 (F/8)

Santa Fe scored first in the bottom of the second inning, with Tucker Hansen bringing in Cole Carnell on a fielder's choice to go up 1-0. Immediately following the RBI, Hansen made an impressive defensive play by throwing out SGSC RF Trae Jones on an attempted steal of second base. 

However, SGSC's bats gave Saints' pitcher Brady Wright some trouble in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with no outs. SGSC catcher Payton Bryant drove in an RBI on a fielder's choice double-play, tying the game 1-1. Wright would then escape the jam with a strikeout, ending his four-inning outing with five strikeouts and one earned run.

In the next frame, Tucker Hansen wasted no time putting the Saints back on top. The catcher sent a two-run shot into the left-field pole, bringing in Samuel Castillo with him to give the Saints a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. SGSC turned to the bullpen right after, but received no mercy from the Saints' bats. Ryan Chase and Akhil Nimmala would extend the lead the following inning, respectively hitting an RBI triple and a single to go up 5-1.

The four-run lead, however, wasn't enough for the Saints – the Hawks went ahead 6-5 in the next inning. Multiple pitching and fielding mishaps by the Saints' defense gave way for five SGSC runs and the lead, which was taken by an RBI from Trae Jones. The Saints weren't down for long, getting energetic pinch play from Joseph Calise and James Suarez in the sixth inning. Running in place of Hansen following a walk, Calise would cross home plate on an RBI single from Suarez, who hit in place of Espinosa, to tie the game 6-6. 

It would then be Ryan Chase who won the first game for the Saints in extra innings. The first baseman sent a two-run walk-off home run over left field, driving in Suarez with him as the Saints won the first game 8-6. The home run would complete Chase's impressive day in which he hit 4-for-5, including two triples and three RBIs.

Kaden Howell gets the win and the Saints improve to (2-2)

GAME 2 FINAL: Santa Fe Saints 6, SGSC Hawks 3

The strong finishes from Ryan Chase and James Suarez in game one carried right into game two. In the top of the second inning, Chase made a highlight-reel grab, leaping to catch a hard-hit line drive in the second inning. In the top of the third, Suarez made an impressive catch of his own, diving to grab a short line-drive in shallow center field. 

In game two, it was the Hawks who drew first blood on an RBI single from Jesse Brown to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. However, the small deficit didn't deter the Saints. Maddox Lee, Wyatt Tesar, and Joe Calise would load the bases in consecutive at-bats, and it was Suarez who would eventually bring Lee home on a fielder's choice to even the score at 1-1. 

Good discipline at the plate continued to reward the Saints, as Ethan Monrad and Cole Carnell took the base with walks in the bottom of the fourth. Both would then extend the Saints' lead to 3-1 lead after a ground ball hit by Calise was errantly thrown over first base by Hawks' third baseman Nate Thomas.

However, the Hawks kept it close in the top of the sixth, as Bryce Marchman reached home on a wild pitch by Austin Cardozo to make the score 3-2. Following the wild pitch, Coach Wiggs turned to Stephen Joyce on the mound, who would throw a strikeout to help the Saints out of a jam that stranded Hawks runners on second and third base. Following Joyce's defensive effort, the Saints' bats stepped up once more. Joe Calise sent a deep triple into the left field gap, driving in Lee and Tesar to extend the Saints' lead to 5-2. A sacrifice bunt by Hayden Montanez would add another run by bringing Calise across home plate. 

Despite a solo shot from Trae Jones over the right field in the seventh, it wasn't enough to bring the Saints down. The Saints would go on to win by a score of 6-3, sweeping the doubleheader against the SGSC Hawks and improving to a record of (3-2).

Caleb Clanton gets the win after a strong 4.2 innings of one run ball. 

The Saints will return to Harry Tholen Field for two games vs TNXL Academy on Friday, January 30th at 12:00 and 2:00pm.