Raiders Run-Rule No. 1 Chipola on the Road to Open Conference Play
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chipola College | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 5 |
|
Northwest Florida State College | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 1 |
MARIANNA, Fla. — No. 17 Northwest Florida State opened Panhandle Conference play in dominant fashion Friday, defeating No. 1 Chipola 12-1 in run-rule fashion behind a strong combination of timely hitting and solid pitching. The Raiders scored in all five innings, including nine runs across the first three frames.
Northwest Florida jumped out early in the first inning. Hunter Tarchalski drew a walk, Brock Clayton was hit by a pitch, and Joe Cable delivered a sacrifice fly, with each sequence helping plate runs and give the Raiders a quick 3-0 lead.
The offense continued in the second inning as three more runs crossed the plate. Sam Bradley drove in a run with an RBI single before Anthony Quigley launched a two-run homer to left field to extend the lead to 6-0.
Northwest Florida added to the advantage in the third. Chipola errors and an RBI single down the right-field line from Angel Santiago helped push the lead further as the Raiders built a commanding margin.
Clayton added another highlight in the fourth inning with a solo home run to right field.
Aiden Torrez earned the win on the mound, allowing one run on two hits over five innings while striking out three and walking four.
Chipola starter Kael Gahan took the loss after allowing three runs in one-third of an inning, walking four and striking out one.
Northwest Florida finished with nine hits in the victory. Quigley and Bradley each recorded two hits, while Tarchalski drove in a team-high three runs. Santiago and Orlando Fernandez were aggressive on the base paths, each stealing multiple bases as the Raiders totaled five steals.
The win extended Northwest Florida's winning streak to three games and gave the Raiders a 1-0 start in conference play. The victory also marked the team's eighth win in its last nine meetings with Chipola.
Northwest Florida returns home Saturday to face the Indians in the second and final game of the weekend series, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Niceville.