PANAMA CITY, Fla. (April 3, 2016) – Tallahassee Community College’s losing streak reached seven games on Sunday with an 8-7 loss at Gulf Coast State College.
The loss dropped Tallahassee (28-14) into last place in the Panhandle Conference standings at 2-8, but just one-half game behind both Northwest Florida State College (2-7) and Pensacola State College (2-7), the next two opponents on the Eagles’ schedule.
For the second straight time against Gulf Coast State, Tallahassee watched the Commodores come from behind for the victory. Last Wednesday, the Eagles took a 3-2 lead to the ninth, only to watch Gulf Coast State steal a 7-5 victory. Today, Tallahassee watched a pair of leads slip away.
After spotting the Commodores a 1-0 lead after one inning, Tallahassee scored the next six runs.
Kyle Cavanaugh led off the second with a solo homer to tie the game. After walks to Deyvid Silva and Myron Mebane, Manny Chavarria’s run-scoring double put the Eagles in front and an error plated the third run of the inning.
Mebane doubled home Silva in the third to extend the Eagles’ lead to 4-1, and Cavanaugh singled home Josh Nothdorft and Bret Maxwell an inning later to give Tallahassee a five-run cushion. But in both the second and fourth innings, Tallahassee missed on opportunities for even more damage, leaving the bases loaded in each.
The Eagles stranded 11 runners for the game.
Gulf Coast State erased the Eagles’ 6-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Three straight walks loaded the bases, and Tylski singled home the first run of the inning. The next batter, Austin Murphy, smacked a grand slam to right to knot the game 6-6.
Tallahassee regained the lead in the fifth on Zach Featherstone’s RBI-single, but Gulf Coast State answered to tie the game in the bottom half.
A two-out single by Tylski in the seventh scored Josh Falk with what proved to be the winning run.
Ryan Terry, the last of four Tallahassee pitchers, took the loss, despite striking out five batters in just 2.2 innings.
Cavanaugh went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Chavarria was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Tallahassee’s postseason hopes likely rest on its next four games as it battles Northwest Florida State and Pensacola State for the PC’s Wild Card berth into the play-in round of the NJCAA GulfDistrict/FCSAA State Tournament.
Three of the four games are at home beginning with games Monday and Wednesday against the defending national champion Raiders. Monday’s game begins at 5 p.m.
***Courtesy TCC Baseball
