#TCCBaseball: Marchese, Gorordo shine as Eagles sweep Grand Rapids

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 7, 2016) – A strike away from pitching a no-hitter, Tallahassee Community College pitcher Junior Gorordo allowed a two-out single in the Eagles' 7-2 win over Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College in game two of Monday's doubleheader. 

Tallahassee picked up a 13-0 win in game one to sweep the teams' four-game series. The Eagles are now 24-6, heading into their final two non-conference games against Andrew (Ga.) College. 

Nick Marchese, who authored a no-hitter against the Thomas University JV on February 22, pitched a one-hit shutout in the opener, allowing only a one-out single in the top of the first. 

And yet, Marchese's performance ended up taking a back seat on Monday. 

Gorordo struck out the side in the first inning and finished with eight strikeouts total. He walked three batters and hit another – all but one of those coming in the third inning, which saw Grand Rapids load the bases but fail to score, protecting Tallahassee's 2-0 lead. 

The Eagles took control of the game in the fourth, scoring four runs, keyed by Zach Featherstone's two-run home run, and added another run in the fifth.  Ahead 7-0, the focus turned to Gorordo, who retired nine straight batters entering the seventh. 

Gorordo walked leadoff batter Joel Dalton, who advanced to third following a ground out and wild pitch. Lionel Barnes went down swinging for the second out, and Gorordo had a 1-2 count on Kolin Groom but, on the next pitch, Groom reached out and poked an opposite field single through the hole into right field, breaking up the no-hit bid, as well as the shutout. 

Brooks Buckler came on to record the final out but, before doing so, allowed consecutive hits and a bases-loaded walk for the Raiders' final run. 

Gorordo's final line: 6.2 innings, one hit, one run (earned), three walks and eight strikeouts and the win, his third against no defeats. 

Kyle Cavanaugh and Ethan Crout had three hits each as Tallahassee collected ten hits total. 

The Eagles also had ten hits in the 13-0, game one win. 

Tallahassee scored all of its runs in the second and third innings, batting around in each. 

Myron Mebane singled to lead off the second and scored the first run of the inning on Manny Chavarria's single. After Crout singled home Deyvid Silva and Chavarria for a 3-0 lead, Featherstone singled to right with the bases loaded to plate Bret Maxwell and Crout. When right fielder Will Harris bobbled the ball, it allowed Mac Wilson to score all the way from first. 

Mebane doubled and tripled in the third, the latter scoring Wilson, Featherstone and Cavanaugh to push the Eagles' lead to 13-0. 

Mebane, who finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. 

Crout was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and four RBIs. 

Chavarria was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. 

Marchese (3-0) faced only three batters over the minimum, allowing just one hit and no walks. He struck out three. 

Tallahassee and Andrew will play a home-and-home series, beginning with Wednesday's 4 p.m. game at Eagle Field.