PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Barry University’s baseball team dropped the first of a three-game non-conference series against the Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic Friday night, 15-7.
The Buccaneers (22-15) were plagued by errors, committing four in all, and Adrian Benitez (3-4) was touched up for seven runs, just three earned, in four innings of work but did strike out five.
Sheehan Planas-Arteaga and Adrian English collected RBI hits in the top of the first to put Barry ahead 2-0, but the Sailfish answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to even the game at 2-2.
In the third, it was the Bucs once again taking the lead on Planas-Arteaga’s solo shot to left center, but the lead was short-lived.
Palm Beach Atlantic scored 12 unanswered runs to build a 14-3 lead and the Sailfish never looked back.
Trailing by 11 runs, the Bucs put on a rally in the eighth inning. Planas-Arteaga led off with a single and English followed with his second double of the night. A walk to Ramon Valdez loaded the bases and Planas-Arteaga came around to score on a wild pitch to start the rally. Greg Brodzinski then drove in two more runs and after a ground out, Mike Diaz singled through the left side to drive in a run and cut the deficit to 14-7.
The Sailfish turned to Dominic Monda who retired the final two batters of the inning and added another run in the bottom of the eighth in route to a 15-7 win.
Planas-Arteaga led Barry with three hits, three runs and two RBI including his sixth homer of the season. Diaz and English also finished with three-hit nights as well, as English belted a pair of doubles to pace the offense.
Barry and Palm Beach Atlantic face off again Saturday for the second game of the series.