ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Thomas University baseball team committed four costly errors tonight in their 4-1 loss to NCAA Division II foe Eckerd College.
 
While the Night Hawks used eight pitchers, a different one each inning, to hold the Tritons to five hits on the evening, fielding issues plagued what was really a game dominated by TU's pitching. 
 
The Tritons opened the game with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Reliever Kris Lee entered the game for starter Tate Lambert.  Grant Banko led the inning off with a single and then stole second base.  Six pitches later, third baseman Matt MacMahon reached on a walk before Banko stole third base.  He would come around to score when TU's third baseman Damon Jackson made a fielding error to break the scoreless game.
 
Two innings later, Eckerd increased its lead to 2-0 on another Night Hawk error.  Jordan Sopotnick, who was TU's fourth pitcher of the game, set the first two Tritons down in order.  With those two outs, Thomas' Jake Desuyo committed an error mishandling a chopper to short that allowed Andrew Don to reach.  Before EC's Mike Abraham reached on a walk, Don stole second.  When he attempted to steal third and eventually came home to score when TU's defense caught him and Abraham in a run down for the final out of the inning.  Before the out, Don crossed home for the Eckerd's second run of the game.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Night Hawks cut Eckerd's lead in half, 2-1.  With one out in the inning, Casey Mannion singled to center.  Mannion moved up 90 feet on a grounder and then onto third with an infield single by left fielder Jeremy Crosby.  Designated hitter Corey Conway drove in Thomas' lone run of the game on a two-out single just over the second baseman's outreached glove.
 
Eckerd went on to score two insurance runs in the eighth off of reliever Justin Hicks.  Lucas Luopa led off the inning with a double down the left-field line.  Luopa moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Rowdy Andrews and then scored on Colin Kirkland's second error of the game.  Carter Cashman hit a grounder that was misplayed by the second baeman leading to the third Triton run of the game.  Eckerd scored its final run of the game when Cashman scored on a wild pitch by Hicks.  EC's closer Taylor Owens shut the Night Hawks down in the final inning allowing just one hit to Jackson.
 
TU's Lee suffered the loss while Eckerd's Jack Silberman received the win.  Owens was credited the save.
 
Thomas drops to 9-11, 3-8 TSC, while Eckerd improves to 12-6 on the year.
 
The Night Hawks return to action on Thurs., March 12 when they travel to Lake Wales, Fla., to participate in the 2015 Warner Invitational.  The Night Hawks will face four teams on the first two days of the tournament and then begin elimination games on Sat., March 14.  TU's first game is against Mount Vernon Nazarene is on March 12.  First pitch is slated for 9:30 a.m.
 
For up-to-date information on this game and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU baseball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawkBaseba.