Eagles double up Pasco-Hernando in season finale

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 28, 2013) - Top-ranked Tallahassee Community College scored eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull away for a 10-5 win over Pasco-Hernando Community College on Sunday afternoon and sweep the three-game series against the Conquistadors.

Tallahassee ends the regular season 45-8 while Pasco-Hernando finishes 30-21. Both teams have qualified for postseason play - the Eagles will head to Lakeland, Fla., for the NJCAA Division I Gulf District Tournament beginning May 10; Pasco-Hernando, meanwhile, will travel north to Morehead City, N.C., for the NJCAA Division II Southeast District Tournament, also beginning May 10. 

Trailing 2-1, Tallahassee plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Pasco-Hernando starter and losing pitcher Steve Rosario was called for a balk, allowing Kevin Cruz to cross home plate with the tying run. Anthony Torres' sac-fly to center scored John Price, Jr., and Chad Mabini singled home James Abbatinozzi to give the Eagles a 4-2 lead. 

After Pasco-Hernando got one of the runs back in the top of the sixth, Tallahassee more than answered in the bottom half. 

Clay Fenwick led off the inning with a triple then scored on Tyler York's one-out single. York stole second and moved up 90 feet on Cruz' single but when left fielder Brennan Allen booted the ball, it allowed York to round third and come home. 

Price, Jr., tripled home Cruz then scored on a wild pitch to give the Eagles an 8-3 lead. With the bases empty, Matt Bahnick doubled, advanced to third on a fielder's choice then scored when pitcher Dan Alimonti was called for a balk. 

Abbatinozzi doubled home Ethan Petrey in the eighth for the Eagles' final run. 

As he did in the first two games of the series, Tallahassee head coach Mike McLeod ran plenty of arms to the hill on Sunday. 

Patrick Riley started and went the first three innings. He allowed four hits and was charged with one run. 

Jared Stanley pitched the fourth and fifth innings and was credited with the victory. 

After Cody Alling pitched two innings and Ryan Deckert, one, Mabini came in from second base to finish things off in the ninth. A hit-batsman with the bases loaded allowed Robby McCabe to score from third, the first earned run allowed by Mabini this season. 

Both teams racked up 12 hits on Sunday. 

For Tallahassee, Fenwick was 2-for-4 with a run scored, Cruz was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Abbatinozzi was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. 

Torres was 1-for-3 with an RBI and scored the first run of the game when he stole home. 

For Pasco-Hernando, George VanRiper was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, Kevin Cavanagh was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Dan Murray was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, McCabe was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI and Jose Alonzo was 2-for-3.

Tallahassee is off until opening the NJCAA Gulf District Tournament at 1 p.m., Friday, May 10 against either Hillsborough Community College or Polk State College.