Indians defeat Commodores, 9-1
The #10 Chipola baseball team defeated Gulf Coast to go up 2-0 in the Panhandle Conference series.
The Indians (26-9, 7-3 PC) used a six-run inning to propel them to a 9-1 victory over the visiting Gulf Coast State Commodores.
Jaylen Nowlin pitched 6 innings to get the win on the mound for the Indians. Nowlin struck out six and only allowed the one run to improve his record to 4-1.
The two teams were scoreless through three and a half innings of play but Chipola would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth. The Indians took advantage of two Commodorre errors and hits by Andre Tarver and Cesar Franco to take a 2-0 lead.
After Gulf Coast cut the lead in half in the sixth, the Indians answered with a six run inning in the bottom half of the inning. Tarver walked to lead off the inning then Alfonso Villalobos hit his fourth home run of the season into the wind over the left field fence. After Cesar Franco and Paxton Tomaini singled, Zac Rice doubled to score Franco and make the score 5-1. A two out walk to Cameron Gray loaded the bases and the runners moved up on a wild pitch, scoring Tomaini. David Castillo singled to score Rice and Gray, giving the Indians the 8-1 lead.
Andrew Moore came on to pitch the seventh inning and, after giving up a lead off walk, retired the next three Commodores he faced.
Needing only one run to end the game due to the eight-run mercy rule, Cesar Franco ended the game on the first pitch he saw with a towering home run over the right field fence.
Cesar Franco finished the game 3-for-4 with 2 RBI.
Zac Rice was 1-for 2 with a double and an RBI.
The Indians and the Commodores will face off again in a doubleheader on Saturday in Panama City. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM.