CHIPOLA CRUISES TO 14-2 OPENING GAME WIN AT STATE TOURNAMENT

TAMPA, Fla. – The #4 seed Chipola Indians wasted no time letting it be known that seeds are just numbers in the postseason. Chipola scored two runs in their first at bat and led 14-0 into the fourth inning before the #1 seed, & Citrus Conference Champions, Indian River put a run on the board.

The Indians went on to defeat the Pioneers, 14-2, to advance to the winner's bracket finals of the FCSAA/South Atlantic District Championships at 5:30 CT on Saturday, May 11. Chipola will take on a familiar opponent, the #2 seed Northwest Florida. The Raiders rallied in the bottom of the ninth to defeat another Citrus Conference opponent, #3 Florida SouthWestern, 8-7.

The winner of Chipola & Northwest Florida will advance to Sunday's Championship Game. The loser will need to win the loser's bracket final to advance to the Championship.

CHIPOLA BATS WERE HOTTER THAN THE TEMPERATURE AT GEORGE STEINBRENNER FIELD

• Rob Gordon set the tone from the start with a leadoff single and then moved around to third on a double from Edian Espinal. With one out, Sam Parker's ground ball to second, moved both runners up a base and gave Chipola a 1-0 lead. Zaid Diaz followed that with an infield single to score Espinal.
• In the second, the Pioneers' pitcher began to struggle with his command. Zander Buchan walked to start the inning and JP Ortiz followed that up with a double. Both runners moved up on Brady McDevitt's first RBI of the day, a sac fly, to put the Indians up 3-0. After Gordon walked to reach base for the second time in as many innings, putting runners on the corners, a sac fly off the bat of Edian Espinal plated Ortiz. With two outs and Gordon on second following his seventh stolen base of the season, JC Vanek's single brought Gordon home to make the score 5-0 and end the day for the Pioneers' starter, Angelo Smith (6-3). After the new pitcher for IRSC, Jace Trautner, walked Sam Parker, the Indians scored two more on a double from Diaz. After two innings of play, Chipola led 7-0.
• After Ortiz reached on a fielder's choice with one out in the third, Brady McDevitt singled to put runners at the corners. Gordon's third trip to the plate resulted in a two-run double putting the Indians up, 9-0. Espinal, Vanek, & Parker had consecutive singles to add two more runs and the Pioneers went to the bullpen for the second time in the game. Diaz greeted the new pitcher, Michael Malone, with a deep sac fly for his fourth RBI of the day. With three innings in the books, Chipola led, 12-0.
• Following a one-out walk to Ortiz, sophomore Brady McDevitt hit a line shot over the right field fence for his first home run of his collegiate career. The Indians led by a pair of touchdowns, 14-0, heading into the bottom of the fourth.

LUCAS ELISSALT WAS NEAR PERFECTION ON THE MOUND

• While the Chipola offense was tallying up the runs, Chipola starter, Lucan Elissalt, made certain Indian River had no thoughts of returning fire. The sophomore right-hander sat down the first eight batters he faced before a bloop single in the third inning off the bat of the nine-hole batter gave the Pioneers their first hit. After a walk to the next batter, Elissalt enduced a ground ball to end the inning and keep IRSC off the board.
• With a weekend of games left to play, Coach Jeff Johnson decided to pull his starter following a strikeout to the leadoff hitter in the fourth inning. For the game, Elissalt pitched 3.1 innings, struck out three, and allowed one hit and one walk. Due to the fact he did not pitch five innings as the starter, Elissalt was not eligible for the win.
• Redshirt-freshman Cole Nobles replaced Elissalt on the mound, and after allowing the first two Indian River batters to reach via a hit by pitch and single, picked up the second out on a ground ball to Espinal. With runners at second and third, the Pioneers would get their first, and only, runs of the game on a single into left field.
• With one out in the fifth, Nobles hit another batter but quickly erased him with a, Ortiz to Espinal to Vanek double play that ended the inning and the game.
• Since Nobles was the pitcher of record through the fifth inning, he was credited with the win to take his record to 3-0 on the season.

GAME NOTES

• The win was the first for Chipola in the double elimination portion of the State Tournament since 2019 when the Indians went on to win their third consecutive championship.
• Five Chipola hitters collected two hits in the win.
  • Rob Gordon (2-3) 2B, 2RBI, 3R, BB, SB
  • Edian Espinal (2-3) 2B, 2RBI, SAC, 2R
  • JC Vanek (2-4) 2RBI, 2R
  • Zaid Diaz (2-2) 2B, 4 RBI, SAC, BB,
  • Brady McDevitt (2-2) HR, 3RBI, SAC, 2R
• The Indians have scored double-digits in all three of their postseason games. 
• Chipola is now 6-3 against opponents at a neutral site.

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