The NJCAA #8 Santa Fe College Saints rallied for an extra inning win Wednesday afternoon in their Mid-Florida Conference opener against Florida State College-Jacksonville, winning their fifth game in a row. Troy Bacon (4-0) was nearly flawless again in three innings of relief. He struck out seven allowing just one hit with no walks.
SF (16-6, 1-0 MFC) nearly blew a four-run lead as they watched the Bluewave score five runs in the seventh to take an 8-7 lead.
Leo Rodriguez came up big in the ninth inning, knocking a two out RBI double to tie the game at 8-8 and the Saints scored four in the 10th to take the win.
Alex Goebel opened the scoring to start the game in the first, drilling a two-run homerun for a 2-0 lead. FSC-J plated a pair in the second to tie the game and took the lead in the third with a run.
In the fifth inning Dillon Reed smacked his second homerun of the season and an inning later Wyatt Meisterhans equaled him, belting a two-run homer of his own. Kyle Phillips pushed another run across in the inning with a RBI double. Since returning from injury three games ago Phillips is 8-for-14.
Santa Fe reliever Mitch Campion, pitching in place of starter Kyle Morton (four innings pitched), tossed two solid innings in relief before running into trouble in the seventh. The Bluewave scored five runs in the inning on six straight hits with no outs. Campion rebounded to strike out the final three batters and keep it at a one run game.
In the ninth the Saints came up clutch, scoring the tying run to send it to extras.
Phillips started the 10th with a single and Meisterhans followed by reaching on an error. Stephen Smith reached on a hit by pitch and one batter later he would be winning run came across on a wild pitch. After an intentional walk, the Bluewave surrendered another run via wild pitch. Continuing a theme, the Saints scored two more runs in the inning, both on wild pitches.
Bacon closed out the game with a two strikeout 10th for his fourth win.
Phillips finished the game 4-for-6 with two runs scored, a double and a RBI, Meisterhans was 3-for-6 with three runs, a homerun and two RBI, and Alex Goebel, Stephen Smith, and Leo Rodriguez had two hits each
The Saints and Bluewave will meet again Friday in Gainesville at 3 p.m.
For complete schedules, stats and more information please visit www.santafesaints.com.