Florida State College at Jacksonville baseball played Daytona State College (DSC) in a split-series matchup this weekend, with Game 1 being on Friday in Daytona Beach and Game 2 being on Saturday in Jacksonville. The BlueWave were able to take both ends of the matchup, bringing their record to an even 4-4 going into the fourth week of the season.

FSCJ 4, Daytona State 1

Game 1 was a pitcher's dual between the two clubs, with the game's first run not coming until the top of the 6^th inning when Ashton Nugent scored from 3^rd base on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead for FSCJ. The BlueWave would extend that lead with a 3-spot in the top of the 9^th, when Billy Girgis (RBI single) and Matt Retamoza (2-RBI double) came up with clutch hits to take the lead to 4-0. A solo home run for DSC in the bottom of the 9^th was the only damage done, leading to a 4-1 victory. Girgis led the Wave with 3 hits on the day. Sean Esquinaldo doubled. Cayden Robinson (1-0) got the win on the mound, going 6.2 scoreless innings, scattering 4 hits and 0 walks with 5 strikeouts. Jayden Long (1) got his first career save, throwing the final 2.1 innings, striking out 4 and only allowing the solo home run.

FSCJ 5, Daytona State 4

Game 2 proved to be a back-and-forth affair as both teams traded blows early. The Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1^st on a solo home run. FSCJ immediately answered with 2 runs of their own, with two-out RBI doubles from Carson Womer and Brooks Hicken to grab a 2-1 lead. An Alex Monile RBI single brought home Sean Esquinaldo (double) in the 2^nd to extend the lead to 3-1. DSC again used the long ball to stay in the game, tacking on another solo homer in the 4^th to make it 3-2. Daytona tied the game 3-3 in the 7^th on a fielders choice, before FSCJ again grabbed a lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the 7^th on Matt Retamoza sacrifice fly. After the game was tied 4-4 in the top of the 9^th, Noah Wood singled home Esquinaldo with two outs to be walk-off winners and prevail 5-4 in a complete team win. Wood and Hicken had multi-hit games. FSCJ collected 5 doubles as a team – Hicken (x2), Braden Kessel, Womer, and Esquinaldo. Jaden Paradoa was the starter on the mound for FSCJ, throwing 5 innings, striking out 4 to walking 1, and only allowing the two solo homers to cross the plate. Brady Ellison provided 3 quality innings of relief, allowing 1 unearned run and striking out 1. Joshua Rouw (1-1) earned his first career win, allowing 0 runs.

What's Next?

FSCJ will play travel out of state twice this week. The first trip will be on Tuesday to Douglas, Georgia to battle with the South Georgia State Hawks. Then FSCJ is off to Sumter, South Carolina, for a weekend three-game series with the USC-Sumter Fire Ants.