Shelton State ends Eagles’ win streak at 11
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shelton State Community College | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 15 | 1 |
|
Tallahassee | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 16, 2014) – Shelton State (Ala.) Community College scored four runs in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie then tacked on eight more in the eighth and defeated FCSAA No. 2 Tallahassee Community College, 14-3, on Sunday afternoon at Eagle Field.
The loss ended Tallahassee's season-opening win streak at 11 and denied head coach Mike McLeod his 800th NJCAA victory. He'll get his next chance when the Eagles travel to Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) Agricultural College for a 3:30 p.m. game on Tuesday.
Tallahassee erased a two-run deficit in the third, knotting the game at 2-all. Johnny Blue Craig, who reached on a one-out single, scored on a wild pitch for the Eagles' first run, and Ryne Willard, who was hit by a pitch, later came home on Bobby Rice's RBI-groundout.
Tallahassee starter Cody Alling pitched into the sixth but was relieved by Collin Strall with one out and a runner in scoring position.
The Eagles committed six errors on the day, including one by Strall immediately after entering the game – his pickoff attempt at second sailed high and right into centerfield, advancing Cody Rush to third. Pinch-hitter Kevin Usselman then singled through a drawn in infield to plate Rush. That started what became a four-run inning for the Buccaneers and put the Eagles' win streak in jeopardy.
Down 6-2, Tallahassee made some noise in the bottom of the sixth. Quincy Nieporte led off the inning with a double and D.J. McKnight was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on Kyle Pausche's sac bunt, but Shelton State reliever Blake Smith recorded consecutive strikeouts to end the scoring threat.
Smith pitched four scoreless innings in relief of starter Tyler Gates to earn the victory. He struck out seven and combined with Gates and Slayton Thompson to strike out 11 Tallahassee batters on the day.
Alling (1-1) was tagged with the loss for Tallahassee, despite being charged with only three of Shelton State's 14 runs.
Tallahassee managed only five hits on Sunday – one each by Craig, Christian Dicks, Nieporte, Robert Henderson and McKnight.