PANAMA CITY — The future Seminole couldn’t silence Gulf Coast. The Gator signee did, however.
Taylor Lewis scattered three hits over seven innings and Chipola defeated Gulf Coast 9-2 in a Panhandle Conference baseball game at Bill Frazier Field on Saturday. The victory came a day after the Commodores blasted Indians’ ace Michael Mader, a Florida State commit, in a 10-3 victory where they had 12 hits, but only five in the loss. Chipola had five hits in defeat and 13 against four GC pitchers on Saturday.
The teams evened their Panhandle records at 1-1 heading into the final contest of the opening three-game set Monday in Marianna.
“We were kinda down and we really needed that from Taylor,” Chipola coach Jeff Johnson said. “He’s an extremely competitive guy and you know you’ll get a great effort out of him.”
Lewis (3-2), who signed with Florida, had six strikeouts and two walks while giving up hits in the second, third and seventh innings. He increased his season strikeout total to 48 in 36 innings. GC (22-7) struck for runs in the third and seventh, but couldn’t string together rallies against the right-hander.
Meantime, GC pitchers couldn’t duplicate Lewis’ efficiency. Chipola (22-6) scored eight of its nine runs with two outs, including three in the first inning against losing pitcher Brendan Leach. Two came around on Josh Merrigan’s double and the third was plated on a Bert Givens single to give the Indians early control.
Leach lost for the first time in six decisions after giving up six hits and three runs with five strikeouts and one walk in five-plus innings.
“Leach was fine. We just couldn’t get them off the field,” GC coach Mike Kandler said. “That’s something we’ll address.”
Chipola scored six of its nine runs against three GC relief pitchers in the final three innings. Danny Mars’ triple and Ian Rice’s home run each drove in two and keyed a four-run seventh, all coming with two outs. Mars was 4 for 5 with three runs scored, Merrigan 3 for 5 with an additional RBI in the ninth and Rice finished 2 for 4.
“We really preach that (focus with two outs) a lot,” Johnson said. “Two-out hits win championships and we did a good job with that.”
Ryan Koziol’s single brought in Woody Edwards for GC’s first run in the third to pull within 3-1. Edwards’ ground out plated Chandler Durham, who had two hits, to make the tally 7-2 after seven innings.
Holmes County product Jacky Miles stroked a solo homer to left field against former prep teammate Jordan Worthing on the righty’s first pitch in the eighth to erase GC’s run an inning earlier. It was Chipola’s lone run with less than two outs. Worthing yielded two homers in 1 1/3 innings.
GC stranded four runners in scoring position, including Nick Flair at third base following an eighth-inning triple and Durham at second in the ninth. Chipola relievers Adonis Hernandez and Jo Jo Durden combined for two strikeouts and one walk while giving up two hits in the eighth and ninth.
The rubber match is at 5 p.m. Monday.
Chipola 300 000 411 — 9 13 3
Gulf Coast 001 000 100 — 2 5 1
Lewis (W, 3-2), Hernandez (8), Durden (9) and Rice; Leach (L, 5-1), Ragsdale (6), Worthing (7), Howze (9) and Durham. 2B: C (Merrigan). 3B: C (Mars), GC (Flair). HR: C 2 (Miles, Rice). E: C 3 (Santa 2, Lewis), GC Lamboy. LOB: C 6, GC 8.