Miami Dade Falls Short in 6-5 Loss to College of Central Florida

In a closely contested matchup, Miami Dade fell 6-5 to the College of Central Florida on Saturday, despite a strong offensive showing. The Sharks fought back from an early deficit and tied the game in the fourth inning, but a late home run in the seventh ultimately sealed their fate.

The game began with a rocky start for Miami Dade, as the College of Central Florida capitalized on early mistakes to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning. A pair of wild pitches allowed Marcus Bradshaw to score the first run, while a fielding error by shortstop Adrian Poviones brought home two more. The Sharks, however, quickly responded. In the bottom half of the inning, Santiago Carriles-Alvarado delivered an RBI single to drive in David Zamora, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

Momentum began to shift in the third inning when Michael Petite stepped up and crushed a solo home run to left field, bringing Miami Dade within a run. However, College of Central Florida extended their lead again in the fourth inning as Dawson Harman delivered a two-run single, making it a 5-2 game.

Despite falling behind once more, the Sharks displayed resilience in the bottom of the fourth. Cian Copeland started the rally with an RBI single to score Talan Beckford. Moments later, Petite doubled to drive in Copeland, bringing the score to 5-4. Carriles-Alvarado then came through with another key hit, a double to left field that allowed Petite to cross home plate and tie the game at 5-5. The Sharks had seized the momentum, and with solid relief pitching from Jose Villegas and Jeffred Fermin, they held the Patriots scoreless through the next two innings.

Unfortunately, the decisive blow came in the seventh inning when Cooper Jones launched a solo home run off Miami Dade reliever Luke Helms. That run proved to be the difference, as College of Central Florida took a 6-5 lead that the Sharks could not overcome. Despite collecting 10 hits in the game, Miami Dade struggled to capitalize in the late innings against relievers Jay Jung and Jose Paniagua, who combined to shut down the Sharks' offense over the final three innings.

Petite led the way offensively for Miami Dade, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs. Carriles-Alvarado also had an impressive night, recording two hits and driving in two runs. On the mound, Brandon Olivera started the game and struck out six batters over 3.2 innings, but he allowed five runs, four of them earned. Helms, who surrendered the game-winning home run, was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 0-2.