#TCCBaseball splits with NWF for first PC win

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 23, 2019) – Tallahassee Community College's baseball team picked up its first Panhandle Conference victory on Saturday during a doubleheader split against Northwest Florida State College. 

The Eagles (20-14, 1-6 PC) won game one in eight innings, 4-3, but dropped the second game by an 8-3 score. 

In the opener, Tallahassee rallied from a 3-0 deficit and eventually won on Alex Ray's walk-off sac-fly in extra innings. 

The Raiders had five hits through two innings but Tallahassee starter Chase Forester weathered the storm and the Eagles trailed just 3-1. 

Forester didn't allow another hit until his final pitch – a one-out single in the eighth by pinch-hitter Noah Bailey. Tyler Lehrmann came on to record the final two outs then watched his teammates plate the winning run in the bottom half of the inning. 

Cyrus Grimes drew a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on Cameron Wright's sac-bunt. Grimes moved 90 feet away when Trent Jeffcoat smoked a one-hopper that caromed off first baseman Blaine Smith. After Jeffcoat took second base uncontested, the Raiders intentionally walked Taylor Lomack to load the bases for Ray. 

Ray hit a fly ball to deep left-center, allowing Grimes to race home with the winning run. It was the perfect ending for Tallahassee, who managed only four hits and had to manufacture runs throughout the climb back into the game. 

After spotting the Raiders two runs, Jeffcoat was hit by a pitch to start the Tallahassee half of the first. He stole second and scored on the first of Ray's two hits. 

In the fourth, Lomack led things off with a double and advanced to third on a Raider error. He scored on Ridge Abinsay's sac-fly to right. 

The Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the six. 

Wright drew a leadoff walk but was still standing on first with two outs in the inning. Ray kept the inning alive with a single through the left side, advancing Wright to third. He scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 3-all. 

Lehrmann (5-3) ended up with the win for Tallahassee, though Forester was solid after a shaky start. 

Kaden Polcovich took Forester's first pitch of the game over the right-centerfield wall for a home run. Two more hits and a second run eventually followed in the inning, and the Raiders added an unearned run in the second before Forester seized control. He walked only two and struck out seven. 

In game two, the Raiders again jumped out to an early lead. This time, however, there was no comeback as Tallahassee fell, 8-3. 

Northwest Florida State led 1-0 after an inning and Tallahassee starter Javier Baldor (2-1) retired the first two batters in the second but things fell apart quickly after that. Four hits, including a pair of two-run homers, chased Baldor and the Raiders scored another run after Leighton Alley came on to open up a 6-0 lead. 

Tallahassee eventually trailed 8-0 before getting on the board in the fourth. 

The Eagles scored three times but with the benefit of just one hit, Jeff Athey's two-out single that plated Lomack. 

Wright and Forester had the Eagles' other two hits. 

The teams will complete their four-game series at Northwest Florida State on Tuesday. First pitch is 6 p.m. eastern.