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HOME OF THE TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE EAGLES
This swing by Quincy Nieporte turned into a walk-off three-run homer.
This swing by Quincy Nieporte turned into a walk-off three-run homer.

Eagles run rule Gulf Coast State, live to see another day (with video)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 23, 2014) – Don't count out Tallahassee Community College just yet. The Eagles, facing elimination from postseason contention for a second straight day, came through once again, defeating FCSAA No. 1/NJCAA No. 5 Gulf Coast State College, 15-7. 

The win, coupled with Chipola College's 15-3 win over Northwest Florida State College, gives the Eagles an opportunity to claim the Panhandle Conference's wild card berth on the final day of the regular season. 

Tallahassee (8-11 PC) is now just one game back of the Raiders (9-10) and can advance to the postseason with a win at Gulf Coast State on Friday and a Chipola victory over Northwest Florida State in Marianna. 

Tallahassee also prevented the Commodores from clinching a share of the Panhandle Conference championship. Gulf Coast State and Chipola are both 14-5 heading into play on Friday. 

The Eagles pounded out 16 hits against three Gulf Coast State pitchers, the last a three-run walk-off homer by Quincy Nieporte in the seventh to end the game by the mercy rule. 

Tallahassee overcame a sluggish defensive performance that yielded six errors, as well as a triple play to end the sixth when the Eagles had the game-ending runs on base. 

The Eagles jumped on Gulf Coast State starter and losing pitcher Dalton Kelly for six runs in the second. 

After leadoff hitter Cody Borup lined out to third, a hit batsman, a single and a walk loaded the bases then Kelly hit Johnny Blue Craig on a 0-2 pitch to score the first run. A walk to Christian Dicks followed to give Tallahassee a 2-0 lead, and Ryne Willard cleared the bases with a triple to push the Eagles in front, 5-0. Willard later scored on an RBI-ground out by Nieporte. 

Gulf Coast State cut the Eagles' lead in half over the next two innings, scoring two in the third and one in the fourth but stranded two base runners in each inning – the Commodores left 11 men on base for the game. 

Collin Strall, the last of three Tallahassee pitchers, got the Eagles out of trouble in the fourth and held the Commodores at bay until the seventh when two errors led to four unearned runs that made things interesting, at least until the bottom half of the inning when Tallahassee needed just three batters to seal the victory. 

Dicks singled to lead off the seventh and advanced to third on Willard's double. Both runners came home when Nieporte took Jordan Worthing's 1-0 pitch over the left field wall to end the ball game. 

Nieporte, who also hit the go-ahead three-run homer in Tuesday's 9-2 win over Northwest Florida State, was 2-for-4 with four RBI. 

Dicks and Robert Henderson both went 4-for-4 with an RBI. Willard was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four driven in. 

Strall pitched 3.1 innings to earn the win. 

Friday's first pitch in Panama City is scheduled for 5 p.m. eastern.