Eagles pound Shelton State for win No. 10

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 14, 2014) – FCSAA No. 2 Tallahassee Community College ran its record to a perfect 10-0 with a 14-2 win over Shelton State (Ala.) Community College on Friday afternoon in game one of a three-game set at Eagle Field.

Tallahassee jumped on Shelton State starter and losing pitcher Grayson Jones for five runs in the first, all but ending the suspense about whether or not the Eagles would extend their season-opening winning streak to double-figures.

Jones hit leadoff hitter Geremy Walton with his first pitch of the afternoon and things didn't get much better from there. After a single and walk loaded the bases, Bobby Rice drove the first two runs home on a single to shallow center. Quincy Nieporte and D.J. McKnight followed with consecutive RBI-singles to bump the lead to 4-0.

By the time Jones retired his first batter – a sac-fly by Cody Borup that plated Nieporte – the Eagles had a 5-0 lead.

Tallahassee added another run in the second before Shelton State got on the board.

The Buccaneers scored two runs in the fourth against Tallahassee starter Victor Cole, who struck out six batters but walked five over four innings of work and exited with a no-decision.

The score remained 6-2 until Tallahassee put the game away with another five-run inning – this one coming in the seventh.

The Eagles sent 11 men to the plate in the frame, which, like the first inning, began with a hit-batsman.

Ryne Willard, who was hit to start the rally, later scored on a passed ball. Nieporte singled home Christian Dicks and Rice to make the score 9-2. A run-scoring single by Ricky Negron and ground out by Walton completed the scoring and gave the Eagles a commanding 11-2 lead.

Tallahassee padded its lead with three runs in the eighth.

Micah Dunn (1-0), who pitched three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in relief of Cole, was the winning pitcher for the Eagles. He struck out five batters and along with Cole and Riley Hodge, who pitched a perfect eighth and ninth innings and struck out four, combined to strike out 15 batters on Friday.

Offensively, Tallahassee was led by Rice, who was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI, and Nieporte, who was 2-for-4 with a run scored and three runs batted in.

Matt Olive (2-for-4) also had a multi-hit effort for the Eagles.

Tallahassee and Shelton State will play game two of its series at 2 p.m. Saturday.