NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — The Raiders kicked off their Gulf Coast road trip with a rain soaked loss in the Sunshine state. Three Rivers College gave up six runs in the sixth inning and lost to Pasco Hernando 9-1 in seven innings Sunday. "Just tough conditions," Three Rivers coach Stacey Burkey said of the rain soaked game. "A couple pitches could have definitely swung our way. It's hard to see just looking at the score that it could have been a different game pretty quick." Matt Robbins scored the Raiders' only run in the bottom of the third inning. He had a leadoff single and scored on Grant Miller's single that rolled things over to the top of the lineup. Tyler Mathys and Rylan Hunter had Three Rivers' other two hits. At the time, Robbins' run cut Pasco Hernando's lead to 3-1, which is where it stayed until the sixth.

Three Rivers nearly tied it up in the top of the sixth, but ultimately stranded two instead. After Dylan Kater's walk, Hunter doubled off the top of the fence. The pair were stranded at second and third after a strikeout and a flyout to right. "That was really a swing point in the game when we weren't able to cash in and make it 3-3, but they were able to cash in (on an error) and make it 5-1," Burkey said. The Raider relievers faced 12 batters in the bottom of the sixth. Toby Miller, who took over for Gage Atchley with one out in the third, saw four batters in both the fourth and fifth innings before allowing four runs in the sixth. Miller ultimately finished with four strikeouts, two walks and two hits against after the rain picked up in the sixth. "Toby Miller gave us a good effort out of the bullpen and gave us a chance to get back in it," Burkey said. "He did a nice job in the middle part of the game pitching out of the bullpen for us." Fernando Burgos and Trey Kirkpatrick each earned one out. Burgos gave up two runs against four batters, and Kirkpatrick only faced one batter. Atchley (0-1) suffered the loss and allowed three hits and three walks against one strikeout. Of Pasco Hernando's nine runs, five were earned. Three Rivers (4-12), which has had four games postponed in the past week, has lost 10 of 11 since Feb. 25.

"I think we're trying to keep things in perspective and know that we have a lot in front of us still," said Burkey, who added that the Raiders are focusing on the process of getting better. The Raider offense has gotten double-digit hits in four of those losses and at least five hits in eight of them. They've scored five or more runs in four of the losses, while the defense has not held up its end. Through 16 games, Three Rivers is allowing 6.6 runs per game. Opponents are also batting .305. Three Rivers held its opponent to four runs or less in each of its four wins.