SCF sends Tallahassee to loser’s bracket with 11-3 defeat

LAKELAND, Fla. (May 9, 2014) – Two big innings. That was all FCSAA No. 7 State College of Florida needed on Friday to hand No. 9 Tallahassee Community College an 11-3 defeat at the NJCAA Gulf District/FCSAA State Baseball Tournament at Lakeland's Joker Marchant Stadium.

Tallahassee (38-17) falls into the loser's bracket and will play top-ranked Chipola College at 7 p.m. Saturday in an elimination game. Chipola, the Panhandle Conference champion, gave up four runs in the top of ninth and lost to the College of Central Florida, 7-3, late Friday evening.

Chipola has eliminated Tallahassee in its two previous trips to the postseason (2009, 2013).

Tallahassee was looking for its first win in four tries this season against State College of Florida, and early on, the starting pitchers had the upper hand. State College of Florida's Dustin Hagy allowed only two hits through four innings and Tallahassee's Logan Elliot retired the first six batters he faced an allowed only one hit through three innings.

The Manatees, however, got to the Tallahassee right-hander in the fourth, sending 11 men to the plate and scoring seven runs on seven hits. 

Back-to-back doubles from Sean Trent and Scott Williams broke the scoreless tie then Justin Garcia hit a two-run homer to give State College of Florida a 3-0 lead. Trent completed the scoring in the fourth with a two-out single to plate Jesse Haney. 

The Eagles needed only one swing to get back in the game in the sixth. With two runners on, Cody Borup homered to left – the second postseason home run of his career – to pull Tallahassee within 7-3. 

But with one on and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, State College of Florida put together a rally that eventually sealed the game. After two runs scored to give the Manatees a 9-3 lead, Tyler Dauphinee singled to left, scoring Danny Lee and Trevor Beeman to end the game via the mercy rule. 

The three through eight hitters accounted for all ten of State College of Florida's hits, led by Trent and Lee, who both went 3-for-4. 

D.J. McKnight was 2-for-3 for Tallahassee and Borup with 1-for-3 with the home run. 

Elliot (7-1) was tagged for his first loss of the season. He gave up seven run (six earned) in three plus innings.