Eagles drop series finale to TNXL

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 8, 2021) – TNXL Baseball Academy scored four runs in the top of the 11th inning and defeated Tallahassee Community College, 12-8, on Thursday afternoon. 

Tallahassee is now 17-25 on the season and will resume Panhandle Conference play on Monday at Chipola College. 

TNXL's Ashton Wilson reached base on an error to open the 11th, and the floodgates opened from there. Three hits, two walks and two wild pitches turned into four runs and a 12-8 lead for the Ducks. Aidan Keenan, the Eagles' third pitcher of the inning, induced an inning-ending double play, but the damage was done. 

Having already erased a five-run deficit earlier in the game, Tallahassee went to work in its final at-bat. A leadoff walk to Stan King and Bryson Kirksey's bunt single brought the tying run to the on-deck circle but a 1-6-3 double play followed by a ground out to the pitcher ended the game. 

Already leading 4-3, TNXL put up four runs in the top of the seventh to open up an 8-3 lead, and that was the score as the game went to the bottom of the eighth. 

Nick Niewulis drew a leadoff walk and stole second, and after Dilan Lawson followed with a walk, the pair successfully executed a double steal of second and third. King's sac-fly scored Niewulis for the first run of the inning. 

The next six batters reached base for Tallahassee, including RBI-doubles from Bryson Kirksey and Jeissy De La Cruz, and when Andrew Fernandez drew a bases-loaded walk, it scored Brendan Power with the tying run and left the bases loaded with still just one out. 

Batting for the second time in the inning, Niewulis struck out and Lawson flied out to center to end the inning. The Eagles left the bases loaded again in the tenth. 

Both sides had 11 hits. De La Cruz went 3-for-6 for Tallahassee. Both Kirksey and Jeffcoat went 2-for-6. Niewulis tied a school record with four walks and he had three of the Eagles' school record 11 stolen bases. 

Albert Padron (1-1), after pitching a scoreless ninth and tenth, yielded the go-ahead runs in the eleventh and took the loss for the Eagles. 

Monday's game against Chipola will begin at 6 p.m.