OCALA, FL – The College of Central Florida Patriots broke open a tightly contested battle with a seven-run outburst in the sixth inning, cruising to a 10-1 rule victory over the State College of Florida Manatees on Thursday afternoon. With the win, the Patriots improve to 3-1 in Citrus Conference play.

Sixth-Inning Surge

Leading by two, the Patriots' offense ignited in the bottom of the sixth. Cameron Uzzillia and Juan Concepcion set the table with back-to-back singles. Following a sacrifice bunt, a Manatee error allowed two runs to cross the plate, extending the lead.

The rally continued as Jose Correa singled and drew a walk, setting up a sacrifice fly from Cal Johnson to make it 6-1. Victor Martinez then padded the lead with shot off the left field fence, driving in Correa for a 7-1 advantage. The exclamation point came from Bruno Schafer, who unloaded on a deep drive to left field for a three-run home run—his first of the season—to cap the scoring at 10-1. Schafer finished the day with a team-high three hits.

Dominance on the Mound

The Patriots' pitching staff stifled the Manatees' bats all afternoon:

• Jake Meadows: Provided a strong start, tossing four innings while allowing just one run on five hits with a strikeout.

• Kohl Kilcrease (W, 1-1): Earned the win in relief, navigating one scoreless inning and allowing only one hit.

• Niko Janssens (S): Secured a two-inning save, keeping the Manatees hitless and scoreless while striking out one to close the door.

Up Next

The three-game series shifts to Bradenton this weekend. The Patriots will travel to face State College of Florida in a doubleheader on Saturday, February 21. The first game is scheduled to begin at Noon.