OCALA, FL — The College of Central Florida Patriots baseball team delivered an unforgettable doubleheader sweep against Eastern Florida State College on Saturday, capped off by a miraculous bottom-of-the-ninth comeback.

With the sweep, the Patriots have surged to the top of the leaderboard and are now tied for first place in the Citrus Conference with Florida SouthWestern State with a 14-4 record.

Game 1: Patriots 5, Eastern Florida State 0 In the first game of the twin bill, the Patriots rode a dominant pitching performance from starter Kaiden Lopez to a 5-0 shutout victory. Lopez was incredibly sharp, tossing 6.2 scoreless innings while allowing just six hits and striking out seven without issuing a single walk.

Offensively, CF got on the board early when Victor Martinez blasted a solo home run to right field in the second inning. Martinez was a constant threat on the basepaths, reaching base in all three plate appearances (1-for-1, HR, two walks), stealing two bases, and scoring twice. Third baseman Balint Piros provided essential insurance in the fifth inning, delivering a two-run single to break the game open. Reliever Richard Bello came on to secure the final out and preserve the shutout.

Game 2: Patriots 16, Eastern Florida State 14 The second game proved to be an absolute slugfest, featuring a combined 30 runs and 38 hits between the two programs. Eastern Florida State seemed poised to salvage a split after exploding for three runs in the top of the ninth, putting the Patriots in a daunting four-run hole heading into their final at-bats.

However, the Patriots refused to quit in the bottom of the ninth. After piecing together a massive rally to steadily chip away at the deficit, Balint Piros stepped to the plate and delivered the ultimate heroics—a game-winning two-strike home run to complete the jaw-dropping comeback and secure the series sweep for CF.

Several Patriots had monster performances at the plate during the Game 2 shootout:

• Victor Martinez put together a perfect 4-for-4 showing, finishing with a home run, a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored.

• Jose Correa was an elite offensive catalyst out of the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored, a double, and a triple.

• Cameron Uzzillia also showed off his power, launching his first home run of the season in the fourth inning.

• Balint Piros drove in an five runs on three hits during the contest, headlined by his walk-off blast.

The two victories give the Patriots massive momentum heading into the remainder of their spring schedule as they fight for the outright Citrus Conference crown.