PANAMA CITY, Fla. (TCC ATHLETICS) — Tallahassee Community College couldn’t protect an early lead and dropped a 5-2 decision at Gulf Coast State College in game one of the teams’ four-game series.
The Eagles (10-16) are now 1-4 in Panhandle Conference play.
Tallahassee jumped out to a 2-0 lead after its first at-bat, though it was poised for an even bigger inning.
Singles by Trent Jeffcoat and Andrew Fernandez and a walk to Spencer Hanson loaded the bases with nobody out. Following a strikeout, Jeissy De La Cruz’ infield single and a bases-loaded walk to Josh Gray plated two runs and still left the bases full with only one out.
Gulf Coast State starter Avery Stephens escaped further trouble with a strikeout and pop up in foul territory to end the threat. That proved to be all the runs the Eagles would generate against him and Brayden Gainey, who relieved Stephens to start the sixth and earned the save with four scoreless innings.
The Commodores got one of the runs back in the bottom of the first then, an inning later, scored the tying and go-ahead runs on consecutive two-out singles for a 3-2 lead. Singles runs in the third and fifth made it a 5-2 game and knocked out Tallahassee starter Dilan Lawson (0-6) with two outs in the fifth.
Patrick Libby, Dylan Faulkner and Albert Padron held the Commodores to just one hit over the final 3.1 innings.
Jeffcoat, De La Cruz, Bryson Kirksey and Jacob Estes had two hits apiece for Tallahassee.
The teams will continue their series back in Panama City at 6 p.m. Thursday.
PC schedule update
Tallahassee Community College has announced the following changes to its upcoming schedule.
The Eagles will play a four-game series against Northwest Florida State College beginning Tuesday, March 23, and a four-game series against Pensacola State College beginning Tuesday, March 30.
Tallahassee was originally scheduled to play Pensacola State then Northwest Florida State.
Both weeks, the Eagles will host 5 p.m. games on Tuesday and Thursday then travel for a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. eastern.
