Pitching leads Blue Wave to series win over Palm Beach

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. - After a week and a half off of play due to having a bye week from Sunlakes Conference series last weekend, Florida State College at Jacksonville returned to the field in emphatic fashion, taking two games and the series from Palm Beach State College at Howard Roey Field this weekend, with the third game having been suspended in the top of the 3rd inning with the game tied 0-0 due to inclement weather. That game will be completed at a later date. FSCJ took the first two games by scores of 4-0 and 4-1 to take their season record to 18-14 (4-4). 

Game One

Game one of the series went the way of the Blue Wave on the back of the top pitching performance of the year by FSCJ at the hands of Redshirt Sophomore LHP Daniel Gaviria. Gaviria (3-2) dominated all game long, throwing a complete game shutout, going all nine innings and allowing no runs on only two hits and one walk while striking out eight. He did not allow a baserunner past second base all game. The southpaw said that the biggest difference on the day was setting the tone early and riding that confidence throughout the game. At the plate, Cam Wademan, Jack Gidcumb, and Blake Wood all had multi-hit games, while Evan Wickeri's 3 for 4 day drove in two runs for the Wave, his 33rd and 34th RBI of the season (T3rd in the Sunlakes). FSCJ struck first in the bottom of the opening frame with a Wickeri RBI single up the middle after Barry Eiseman's 16th double of the season (2nd in the Sunlakes). Wickeri doubled home Wademan in the bottom of the third to make it 2-0 FSCJ. Xavier Cintron followed up a Wademan triple with an RBI groundout to make the score 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Blake Wood's RBI single up the middle scored Wickeri in the bottom of the 8th to cap the scoring for the day. 

Game Two

In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, FSCJ starting pitcher Redshirt Freshman RHP Brian Veniard continued the dominance on the mound of Blue Wave pitching, going six innings, allowing one run (zero earned runs) on five hits, and striking out three to collect his fourth win of the season (4-1). The big righty worked through some early jams and finished with an exclamation point in his last inning of work, striking out two and setting PBSC down in order. Patrick Groark nailed down his Sunlakes-leading fifth save of the season, pitching a scoreless seventh inning. FSCJ saw a 1-0 deficit in the top of the second inning after Palm Beach scored on a passed ball before answering in the bottom of the fourth with two of their own to force a 2-1 lead. Following back to back singles from Cam Wademan and Xavier Cintron, Barry Eiseman chased Wademan home on a sacrifice fly to left. Garrett Chun singled to right field to score Cintron for the second run for the Wave. Chun once again provided the fireworks in the bottom of the sixth inning with some huge insurance runs on a big two-run home run to right center field, his second of the season. Chun (2 for 3, HR, 3 RBI), attributed his success on the day to being more aggressive early in the count and hopes to continue that into the home stretch of the regular season. 

Game Three

Game three was forced to be suspended after the completion of the second inning due to inclement weather that moved into the Jacksonville area. The game was still locked at a scoreless 0-0 tie. FSCJ starting pitcher Freshman RHP Dylan Dudones threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one. The game will be resumed and completed at a later date to be determined.

What's Next?

FSCJ returns to action on Wednesday to host Thomas University JV at Howard Roey Field for a doubleheader before making the trip to Pasco-Hernando State College for a three-game road conference series starting Friday night.