Eagles fall to Chipola in series opener

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 18, 2013) - A seven-run second inning was the catalyst for FCSAA No. 6 Chipola College in a 13-6 win over No. 2 Tallahassee Community College on Monday evening in the opening game of a three-game set between the longtime Panhandle Conference rivals. 

Tallahassee (29-5, 3-1 PC) lost for the first time in four league games and saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end. Chipola, playing its PC opener, improved to 23-11. 

Monday's game featured plenty of offense - the teams combined for 19 runs and 31 hits, including 18 by Chipola - but it was a defensive play that was, arguably, the biggest of the game. 

After Chipola's Bert Givens hit a solo homer in the top of the first, Tallahassee threatened to answer and then some in its half. 

With the bases loaded and two outs, John Price, Jr. hit a hard liner that had eyes for the right field corner, but Chipola first baseman Chase Nyman dove to his left and nabbed the one-hopper to save two, possibly three, runs. Instead of grabbing an early lead, Tallahassee left the bases loaded for the first of four times in the game. 

The Eagles stranded at least one base runner in each inning and 19 total for the game. 

A leadoff double by Nyman started the Indians' big second inning. While Chipola took advantage of five hits, two wild pitches, a passed ball and an error, Tallahassee head coach Mike McLeod trotted out four different pitchers to try and stop the bleeding. 

By the time the last of the four - Ryan Deckert - came on, the Indians had scored six runs. A fielders' choice plated the seventh run of the inning and gave Chipola a commanding 8-0 lead. 

Tallahassee got on the board in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs. After a double-play resulted in a run, Clay Fenwick drove in a pair with a two-out double. 

Chipola scored two runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth and was poised to end the game via the mercy rule on two different occasions but, each time, the Eagles staved off defeat and extended the game. 

Down 13-3, Price, Jr., led off the fifth with a triple and scored on James Abbatinozzi's single to center. An inning later, Price, Jr., picked up an RBI with a one-out double. In the seventh, Chipola reliever Taylor Lewis hit three Eagle batters - the last, Trent Higginbothem, with the bases loaded, to score Kevin Cruz and again keep the game alive. 

Five different players enjoyed multi-hit games for Tallahassee - Anthony Torres, Price, Jr., Abbatinozzi, Tyler York and Kevin Cruz. Fenwick was 1-for-4 with two RBI. 

Every Chipola starter collected a hit and scored a run. All but right fielder Cameron Gibson had at least two hits. Ian Rice went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Givens finished 2-for-6 with two runs scored and three RBI.  

Cody Alling took the loss for Tallahassee. He allowed four runs in one-plus innings.  

Mikel Belcher, who replaced Chipola starter Carlos Misell after just 1.2 innings, picked up the win in relief with 3.0 innings of work.  

Tallahassee and Chipola will continue its series on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. eastern game in Marianna.