The College of Central Florida Patriots (47-16) fell 16-8 to the #1 ranked Walters State Senators (59-5) in the NJCAA JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado on Monday night. The game was jam packed with fans as over 10,000 people showed up to honor America's fallen heroes for Memorial Day and to see some high-quality JUCO baseball.
The fireworks started early as both Kevin Kilpatrick and Victor Castillo hit home runs in the top of the first inning off the Senators ace, Kohl Drake to give CF a 2-0 lead. After Walters State tied the game at 2, Caleb Cali hit a towering home run to centerfield for a 3-2 CF lead. Nicholas Calero doubled to lead off the fourth inning and was driven home by a Carson Bayne single off the right field wall. Bayne would then score on a Kilpatrick single to put the Pats up 5-2. The bottom of the fourth was not kind to the Patriots as the Senators chased CF starter Ben Chestnutt with seven runs on three hits, two walks, a HBP and an error. CF found themselves down 9-5. The Patriots never give up as they immediately went to work pushing three runs across on a Calero sac fly and a Bayne two-run home run to make the score 9-8. That would be as close at the Patriots would get as the Senators bats stayed hot as they scored two runs in the fifth, four runs in the seventh and one run in the eighth which ended the game by the run rule.
The loss was the first of the tournament for the Patriots and now must play in a losers bracket elimination game against Cowley College at 3:00 PM (MT) on Tuesday. CF previous defeated Cowley 8-2 on Saturday in the first game of the World Series.
All World Series games can be watched at NJCAA.org on the NJCAA Network for a small subscription fee.
Original source can be found here.
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