Indians sweep Marianna Regional; Tampa-bound looking for a State Title

MARIANNA, Fla. – The #4 seed Chipola Indians defeated #5 Miami Dade 14-5 on Friday and 11-5 on Saturday to sweep the Marianna Regional and punch their ticket to the FCSAA Division I/NJCAA South Atlantic District Baseball Championship in Tampa, Florida.

Chipola (34-17) will take on the #1 seed Indian River State College (39-12) on Friday, May 10, at George M. Steinbrenner Stadium, the home of the New York Yankees single-A affiliate, Tampa Tarpons. First pitch is set for noon central.

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Game 1:    Chipola 14   Miami Dade 5

The Indians used a nine-run fifth inning to take control of the first game in the Marianna Regional at Jeff Johnson Field on Friday night. Chipola finished the game by scoring 11 unanswered runs to take a 14-5 run-rule victory in seven innings.

Marianna native, Cole Nobles (2-0) entered the game in the fourth inning in relief of starter, Amari Allen to collect the win and put the Indians one win away from returning to the Championship Round of the FCSAA State Tournament for the second time in three years.

After four innings, the teams were knotted 3-3 but a rough start to the top of the fifth forced the Indians to go to the bullpen. Allen allowed a pair of singles to start the fifth and Coach Jeff Johnson called on Nobles to limit the damage.

After a double steal moved both runners into scoring position, a sac fly gave the Sharks their third lead of the game. The next batter would single to extend the lead and close the book on Allen. The Chipola starter allowed five hits, five runs (four earned), and walked four. He struck out four in four innings of work. Nobles retired the next two batters to end the inning and hold the Sharks to a 5-3 lead.

Miami Dade would run into trouble on the mound in the bottom of the fifth. After retiring the first Chipola hitter in the inning, Miami Dade allowed nine consecutive batters to reach base. Chipola took advantage of five walks, four hit batters, and an error scored nine to take a 12-5 lead. A JP Ortiz single was the only hit in the inning.

Miami Dade started the sixth by loading the bases on a pair of hits and an error but Nobles retired the next three hitters he faced to shatter any hopes of a rally.

Chipola would add two more runs in the sixth without a hit. Two more walks, a hit batter, and an error gave the Indians a 14-5 lead and sent the game to the seventh needing three outs to end the game two innings early.

Nobles turned in a perfect seventh inning to give the Indians their 33^rd win of the season. In three innings of relief, the redshirt freshman allowed three hits and struck out three. He did not allow a run and did not give up a walk.

Game 2:    Chipola 11  Miami Dade 5

For the second consecutive game, Chipola took advantage of multiple free passes to sweep the Sharks with an 11-5 victory on Saturday morning at Jeff Johnson Field.

The game was moved up to 11 AM due to a rainy forecast for the afternoon in Marianna. A sickness for the game two starter also forced Coach Johnson to make a shift in his plans.

In the second game of the Regional, Chipola was the visiting team and missed a chance to score early when they went down in order in the first. Sophomore JP Ortiz was pushed up a day on the mound and did not have his best stuff against the Sharks. A solo home run followed by a walk, single, and an error allowed Miami Dade to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first.

Following a leadoff single and a walk in the second, Ortiz was replaced on the mound with sophomore Zach Kilby. The Sharks were able to score one in the inning for a 3-0 lead but Kilby limited the damage to keep the Indians within striking distance.

Despite allowing a pair of singles in the third, Kilby struck out three Miami Dade batters to keep the score at 3-0 after three innings.

Miami Dade moved out to a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning courtesy of a single and an error. After a sac fly scored one and a single brought in another, Chipola once again went to the bullpen. With two on and two out, Ismael Borrero came on in relief and picked us his first of five strikeouts he tallied in the game.

Through four innings, the Miami Dade starter was sitting down the Indians with ease. A leadoff walk to Sam Parker in the second inning was the only Chipola baserunner until Brantley Willis doubled to the base of the left fence with one out in the fifth.

The first hit of the game seemed to rattle the Miami Dade starter. After Gustavo Mendez walked, a Knox Bennett fly ball to right field moved Willis to third, putting runners at the corners with two outs. The next four Chipola hitters would reach base on free passes, pair of walks followed by a pair of hit batters, to pull within two. Sam Parker tied the game off of Miami Dade's reliever with a single into centerfield that scored two.

The scored would remain tied at five until the top of the seventh when the first six Chipola hitters reached base on two walks and four hit by pitches. With one out and Chipola leading 8-5 and the bases loaded, another walk to Mendez increased the lead to four.

Chipola would score the final runs of the game when the next hitter, Knox Bennett, placed a perfect safety squeeze bunt that was thrown away. Parker scored on the bunt and Zaid Diaz scored from second on the error to give Chipola an 11-5 margin.

Borrero went on to complete his second longest outing of the season, 4.1 innings. He retired 12 of the 14 Miami Dade hitters he faced including the last seven. One of the runners he allowed, a leadoff walk in the sixth was gunned down trying to steal second by Mendez. A two out hit in the same inning was the only hit Borrero allowed.

Ben Fiedler pitched the ninth and, after a one out walk followed by a single, ended the game with a strikeout after Elgin Bennett made a running catch on a line drive into left centerfield for the second out.

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