#TCCBaseball falls short in season finale

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 27, 2019) – Tallahassee Community College lost its 2019 finale on Saturday, falling to Pensacola State College, 9-7, at Eagle Field. 

The Eagles dropped their final six games to close the season at 28-23 overall and in third place in the Panhandle Conference with a record of 9-15. 

Aided by a controversial call, Pensacola State scored six runs in the second to take control. 

Tallahassee appeared to have ended the Pirates' rally with just three runs scoring when third baseman Ridge Abinsay fielded a grounder and stepped on the bag for the third out. The ball was ruled foul, however, and Pensacola State's Ryan Brewer promptly tripled home two runs then scored on Angel Diaz' double. Just like that, the Eagles trailed 7-1.   

Tallahassee was poised to get right back in the game in the bottom half, loading the bases with nobody out, but a 6-4-3 double play – one of three the Eagles hit into on Saturday – slowed down the rally, although a run did score. Trent Jeffcoat singled home Chase Forester for the second run of the inning. 

Jeff Athey homered in the third to cut the deficit to 7-4. 

Neither team scored again until the seventh. Pensacola State scored twice to regain a five-run cushion, but Tallahassee scored two of its own in the home half of the inning on RBI-groundouts by Abinsay and Athey. 

The Eagles got even closer in the eighth. Eric Hernandez led off the inning with a double and scored when centerfielder Sean Ross bobbled Forester's single, bringing the tying run to the plate with nobody out. 

The next three batters were retired in order, however, and Logan Lacey grounded out with Athey on first in the bottom of the ninth to end the game. 

Jeffcoat had four hits (4-for-5) and two stolen bases. Athey was 2-for-4 and drove in two runs.