PANAMA CITY — Nick Flair’s business cards could read “hitter, plain and simple.”
The Gulf Coast sophomore rarely sees a pitch he can’t connect with and he racked up three more hits on Monday, including a three-run home run, in a 9-5 win over Northwest Florida State at Bill Frazier Field. His homer capped a seven-run third inning to give starter Brendan Leach a cushion on a day when the right-hander didn’t have his usual dominant mix on the mound.
Flair drove in half of GC’s eight runs through the first three innings. He added a single in the sixth and finished the day with a .426 batting average, seven points higher than when he woke up on Monday. His three hits and an identical number from Dalton Kelley kept GC in a first-place tie with Chipola in the Panhandle Conference at 6-2 after a fifth straight win.
“Leach has been great all year. This was his first rough game all year,” said Flair of the GC starter, who had six strikeouts and three walks while giving up eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of a no-decision. “If he struggles we struggle. On offense we took it upon ourselves to make things happen.”
Flair’s homer off losing pitcher Brandon Nagem turned a 1-1 tie into a three-run GC lead. Max Bartlett and Dondrayas Harris (Rutherford) had RBIs from the bottom of the lineup and Kelley singled them in when the Commodores batted through the lineup in the third. GC (29-8) held on behind Kelley, who entered for Leach in the fifth and tossed 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the win.
Kelley yielded a walk and gave up RBIs singles to Danny Blanco and Ryan Fucci to pull NWF State (22-11, 4-4) within 8-5. Blanco also had a solo homer in the fourth and he and Fucci finished with two hits apiece.
Each of the five runs were charged to Leach, who gave up six earned runs in his previous 47 1/3 innings. Kelley (1-0) had five strikeouts and one walk and Brandon Pergantis and Ryan Koziol combined to hold NWF State scoreless over the final four innings.
Brian Lamboy’s triple in the fifth capped the scoring. It was his first of the season. Flair has four triples in one of five categories he leads the team.
Flair of Belle Chase, La., said GC has given him a chance to flourish after two seasons at Mississippi State where he redshirted his first season and had only seven at-bats as a freshman.
“I didn’t get to play the last two years and (GC) coach (Mike) Kandler gave me a shot,” Flair said. “I’m a hitter by nature. It’s what I do.
“For the most part, getting to play every day has helped me. You can’t sit the bench and do much.”
Flair has done most of the heavy lifting at the plate, but he noted he wasn’t the only top bat in the lineup. He singled out Trevor Davis, who is near .400 and was 1 for 4 on Monday. He also said this season’s success has been a total effort.
“As a team we have a good offense, but we also have solid pitchers and can play defense,” Flair said. “When we make a bad play they (pitchers) pick us up.”
Flair and GC wrap up the three-game series against NWF State in Niceville at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
NWF State 010 130 000 — 5 12 0
Gulf Coast 107 010 00x — 9 12 1
Nagem (L), McKinney (3), Rodriguez (7) and Halsted; Leach, Kelley (5, W, 1-0), Pergantis (8), Koziol (9) and Durham. 2B: GC 2 (Koziol. Kelley). HR: NWF State (Blanco), GC (Flair). E: GC (Flair). LOB: NWF State 11, GC 8.