A walk-off home run from Gadriel Burgos to end Game 1 and a new season high in runs in Game 2 led TCJ Eagles Baseball to a sweep of NAIA Florida National University on Saturday afternoon at Trinity Ballyard. Both games also featured solid pitching, and the first contest saw the Eagles come from behind late to set up Burgos's game winner. The Eagles also won 8-3 on Friday to begin a sweep of the three-game series.

Game 1: Eagles 5, FNU 4

With a count of 0-1 in the bottom of the 7th, Burgos lauched a missle over the right-field fence off the new pitcher who just entered after the first two batters had both grounded out. The line drive cut through the wind and cleared the fence for a game-winning home run.

[Gadriel Burgos: 3 for 7, HR, 2B, BB, HP, 2R, 2RBI in Saturday's DH sweep]

The comeback started in the 6th. Trailing 4-2 when the at bat started, Dominic Gattinella and Jacob Burke led off with walks. One out later, Richaun Amaro singled in Gattinella. Trace Hoff's fielder's choice ground ball advanced Burke to third, and an overthrow on the attempt to complete a double play allowed Burke to race home with the tying run.

Trinity scored in the 1st when Gattinella doubled in Larson Lott (lead-off single) and again in the 2nd on Lott's sacrifice fly to drive in Logan McGann (single, stolen base). 

FNU got a run in the top of the 2nd and took a 3-2 lead in the 4th with a pair of unearned runs. They added 1 more in the 5th.

Starter Brodie Nichols pitched 6 innings, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 5. Amaro pitched a 1-2-3 7th and got the win via Burgos's heroics. 

Game 2: Eagles 16, FNU 1

Trey Rosado got much more run support than he needed in winning Game 2. Rosado allowed only 1 run in 6 innings pitched; he gave up only 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Roasdo retired the first 7 batters he faced and did not allow a hit until the 4th. He faced only 3 batters in 4 of his 6 innings of work. Morgan Muhlbauer then finished it up with a perfect 7th inning, needing only 5 pitches. 

Offensively, the Eagles scored 16 times between the 2nd and 5th innings.

The 2nd-inning highlights include two-run doubles from Markeinis Brown and Gavin Williams and a run-scoring double from Burgos. In the 3rd, Amaro drove in Burke with a base hit. The 4th inning included a Williams RBI single, a Gattinella bases-loaded walk, a Tyson LaChapelle sacrifice fly, an Amaro run-scoring ground ball, and a Brown RBI single. The 5th inning saw RBI's from Gatitinella (double), Burke (single), and LaChapelle (ground ball), and a run from Burke on a wild pitch.

The Eagles totled 17 hits (4 doubles) in putting up a new season high of 16 runs. Amaro was 3 for 4 while Williams, Burgos, Burke, Brown, and McGann each collected 2 hits. Lott and Gattinella each singled, and Angel Perez got his first hit of the season in the 6th.

[The Eagles gather to celebrate the three-game sweep of NAIA Florida National.]

Remaining Schedule

The Eagles will finish the regular season with a three-game series at home against NCCAA South Region Paine College on Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25. Friday's double-header starts at 4:00 p.m. EDT, and Saturday's single game begins at 12:00 noon. 

The NCCAA South Region Tournament will begin on Monday, May 4, at the University of Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.