Bucs Down Two Top 25 Teams in Florida

NICEVILLE, Fla. - The No. 5 ranked Shelton State Community College baseball team posted two wins over ranked teams on Friday at the Raider Baseball Complex.

Freshman left fielder Carson Mann belted a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to lift the Bucs to a 7-5 win over No. 19 Bishop State.

The Bucs recorded eight doubles and sophomore right hander Will Harrison had seven straight strikeouts as the Bucs downed No. 15 Northwest Florida State 8-2.

In game one, Shelton State trailed Bishop State 3-2 heading into the seventh inning, before scoring five runs one four hits to take a 7-3 lead.

Freshman shortstop Griffin Rardin opened the inning with a single to left field and freshman pinch-hitter Cody Kropp, making his collegiate debut, laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Rardin into scoring position.  Sophomore right fielder Jackson Henderson delivered the game-tying RBI single to right field to make it 3-3.

After a fly out for the second out, sophomore third baseman Slade Sullivan singled to left field and freshman centerfielder Owen Anchors was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

That set the stage for Mann, who hammered a first-pitch fastball over the right field wall to give the Bucs a 7-3 lead. In just his second career at-bat, Mann collected his first career hit, home run and RBI.

Bishop State (7-4) scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and had the bases loaded when Andrew McDaniel grounded out to Sullivan to end the game.

Sophomore Kenneth Diddell (2-0) picked up the win on the mound.

Connor Henson (2-1) took the loss for the Wildcats.

Jamichael Goings hit a solo home run in the second inning to give Bishop State a 1-0 lead.

Noah Berning's RBI single made to 2-0 in the fourth.

Shelton State freshman designated hitter Wyatt Howell delivered a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Sophomore first baseman Brooks Tunnell tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Bishop State regained the lead 3-2 with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth.

Freshman Tanner Hermesch allowed one run one hit and struck out in his first career start for the Bucs.

In game two, Sullivan, freshman catcher Micah Taguiam, Anchors, sophomore first baseman James Graphos, and freshman pinch-hitter Jarret Scott all doubled for the Bucs in the win over Northwest Florida State.

Sullivan had three doubles and one walk to a near perfect day at the plate. The Mobile native went 5-for-6 with three doubles and pair of walks in the double header. He reached base in his last seven plate appearances.

Taguiam had two doubles and three RBIs in the win. He put the Bucs on the board with a two-out RBI double in third inning  and added a two-run double in a three-run sixth inning.

Harrison (2-0) entered the game with a 1-1 tie in the third and stranded two base runners.  He allowed a leadoff single in the fourth but closed the inning with a double play and strikeout.  He struck out the side in both the fifth and sixth innings, striking out the final seven batters he faced for the win.

Brooks Mueller (0-1), who did not record an out, took the loss.

Anchors went 2-for-5 in the game, including a three-run double in the fourth inning giving the Bucs a 4-1 lead they would never relinquish.

Grapohs, who had four hits on the day, went 2-for-3 in the nightcap with an RBI double in the sixth inning. 

Scott added a pinch-hit double in the sixth inning.

Shelton State and Northwest Florida State will wrap up the weekend with a 1 p.m. (CT) game on Saturday.