FSCJ celebrates Sophomores against Palm Beach

Florida State College at Jacksonville baseball hosted Palm Beach State College this past weekend for the final home Sun-Lakes Conference series of the year. FSCJ took the Friday game before dropping the two Saturday games. 15 sophomores were celebrated on Saturday for their two years at FSCJ.

FSCJ 9, Palm Beach 8 (10)

Extra innings were needed to determine the winner on Friday night in front of a big crowd at Roey Field. PBSC took an early 1-0 lead in the 2^nd inning before FSCJ responded right back with one of their own in the 2^nd on a Pedro Morales RBI single to tie the game. Palm Beach scored two more in the 3^rd but again the BlueWave answered right back with a 5 spot on a Carson Womer RBI single, Brooks Hicken RBI double, and Pedro Morales 3-RBI triple. That 6-3 lead was expanded to 8-3 in the 4^th on a wild pitch and a Dylan Greene RBI single. The Panthers would not go down quietly as they put up 3 in the 6^th and 2 in the 8^th to tie the game and send it to extras. A Sean Esquinaldo walk off single plated the winning run in the 10^th inning.

Womer, Esquinaldo, and Morales all had multi-hit games. Morales collected 4 RBI. Cayden Robinson started on the mound for FSCJ, throwing 5.2 innings, allowing 6 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Dylan Cope (1.1 IP, 0 ER) and Ethan Carroll (0.1 IP, 1 ER) came in for relief before Connor Nelson (2-1) came in to slam the door, going 2.2 innings, allowing 0 runs on 2 hits and striking out 4.

Palm Beach 12, FSCJ 0

Game two of the series started off on a sour note, as Palm Beach stormed out to a 7-0 lead after 1 inning, and ballooned that lead with 2 runs in the 3^rd and 4^th and a single run in the 5^th to take it to 12-0.

Sean Esquinaldo and Matt Retamoza collected hits for FSCJ. Brady Ellison (4-7) took the loss on the mound for the Wave, going 0.1 innings and allowing 5 runs. Gant Geiger, Ethan Yesensky, and Joshua Rouw threw in relief.

Palm Beach 13, FSCJ 5

The visitors from down south would ride that train of momentum into the second game of the doubleheader, taking the game from close early to in-hand late. PBSC struck first in the 3^rd inning with a 2-run home run. Adding another run in the 5^th, the score became 3-0. FSCJ responded to take the lead at 4-3 with 4 runs in the 5^th, on an RBI single by Alex Monile, RBI walk by Noah Wood, RBI single by Carson Womer, and RBI sacrifice fly by Sean Esquinaldo. Palm Beach would again counter with 3 runs of their own, making the game 6-4 in the 6^th. FSCJ came back one more time on a Monile sacrifice fly to cut the game to 6-5 after 6. 2 runs in the 7^th and 5 runs in the 8^th spelled disaster for FSCJ, bringing the game to its final.

Isaac Newman collected two hits for FSCJ. Jaden Paradoa (1-4) took the loss for FSCJ, allowing 6 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits in 5 innings. Ethan Wilford contributed a scoreless inning. Dylan Peck and Jayden Long also appeared in relief.

Sophomore Day

15 FSCJ sophomores were celebrated Saturday for their contributions to the program during their two years in Jacksonville. 8 local Jacksonvillians along with 7 other Florida/Georgia natives comprised this class.

LHP Jaden Paradoa, Port Saint Lucie, FL, Committed to Valdosta State University

RHP Jayden Long, Middleburg, FL

RHP Connor Nelson, Folkston, GA

C Mac Wilkins, Ponte Vedra, FL

RHP Ethan Wilford, Macclenny, FL

OF Matt Retamoza, Ocala, FL

C/INF Dylan Greene, Green Cove Springs, FL

RHP Tristin Bohler, Valdosta, GA, Committed to Valdosta State University

RHP Dylan Cope, Jacksonville, FL

INF/OF Carson Womer, Parrish, FL

RHP Dylan Peck, Fort Myers, FL, Committed to Barry University

OF/LHP Noah Wood, St. Augustine, FL

RHP Bryce Kemper, St. Augustine, FL

LHP Brady Ellison, Jacksonville, FL

RHP Andrew Veniard, Jacksonville Beach, FL

What's Next?

FSCJ will travel to Avon Park to dual with South Florida State College this Thursday and Friday to conclude the 2024 season.