Eagles avoid sweep behind Pausche’s shutout

PENSACOLA, Fla. (March 16, 2015) – Kyle Pausche tossed a four-hit shutout as FCSAA No. 10 Tallahassee Community College downed Pensacola State College 4-0 on Monday evening. 

Tallahassee avoided the series sweep to improve to 19-10 overall and 1-2 in Panhandle Conference play. Pensacola State fell to 20-11 (2-1). 

After the Eagles blew open a close game with two runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh, Pausche kept the Pirates off the board, thus ending the game due to the league's mercy rule. 

Until then, the sophomore righty was locked in a tense pitcher's duel with a trio of Pensacola State hurlers. 

Starter and losing pitcher Connor Jahn lasted only 1.1 innings and though he allowed only two runs, it proved to be more than the Pirates could overcome on Monday. 

Chad Mabini doubled with one out in the first then scored when Pensacola State second baseman booted a grounder. 

Jahn walked three batters in the second, including a bases-loaded free pass to D.J. McKnight that plated Jeremy Scott with the Eagles' second run of the game. 

Tallahassee managed only one hit over the next three innings but still led 2-0 heading to the sixth when the bats woke up. 

Ethan Crout doubled and Mabini singled to lead off the inning, and both scored on McKnight's double to center. Following a ground out, Zach Featherstone drew a walk then he and McKnight came home on a double by Tyler Kinard. 

In the seventh, a passed ball advanced runners to second and third and Tyler Atwell came through with a two-out single to score Mac Wilson and Crout with what proved to be the game-clinching runs. 

Meanwhile, Pausche was dominant. He didn't allow a baserunner into scoring position until the sixth, and only one other runner – with one out in the seventh – made it as far as second base. 

Pausche needed only 87 pitches to get the complete-game victory. He walked only one and struck out two in easily his most impressive outing as an Eagle. 

Crout went 3-for-5 and scored two runs. Mabini was 2-for-4 and scored twice while Kinard was 2-for-3 and drove in two. McKnight (1-fof-4) had three RBIs and Atwell (1-for-5) drove in two runs. 

Tallahassee will step back out of conference play on Wednesday when it hosts Blackhawk College-Moline (Ill.) for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.