Allen’s Six-RBI Night Powers Raiders Past Tallahassee State in 18-11 Slugfest

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Behind a monster performance from Henry Allen, the No. 15-ranked Northwest Florida State Raiders powered their way to an 18-11 road win over Tallahassee State on Tuesday. Allen drove in six runs on the night, collecting three hits—including a home run, a triple, and a double—as the Raiders erupted for 20 hits in the high-scoring affair.

Allen got the offense going early with an RBI double in the first inning. The Raiders quickly capitalized on the momentum, adding runs on a sacrifice fly from David Alvarez, an RBI triple from Matthew Farner, and a run-scoring single from Preston Murphy to take a 4-0 lead out of the gate.

After Alvarez added a solo home run in the third, the Eagles answered in the bottom half with a pair of long balls, including a game-tying homer to right by Will McDonald to even things up at 5-5. Tallahassee briefly took a 6-5 lead in the fourth on a solo homer from Cade Culbreth, but Allen responded in the fifth with a two-run blast to center, putting the Raiders back on top.

The seesaw battle continued as the Eagles reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring twice on a balk and a lineout to go up 8-7. But the Raiders delivered the knockout blow in the sixth, erupting for seven runs on six hits to take control of the game. Joe Cable delivered the key swing in the frame, driving in two with a clutch double.

Allen struck again in the eighth with a bases-clearing triple, putting an exclamation point on his six-RBI night.

On the mound, Thomas Conrad was lights out in relief, tossing three scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out six with no walks. Cooper Powell got the start and struck out five over 2.1 innings. JD Hay took the loss for Tallahassee, giving up 10 hits and seven runs in 4.2 innings of work.

Offensively, the Raiders were firing on all cylinders. Allen, Alvarez, and Sam Bradley each finished 3-for-5, while Farner, Murphy, Tristan Bittle, and Cable all posted multi-hit games. The lineup also showed strong plate discipline, drawing seven walks—two each from Angel Santiago, Matthew Keller, and Qrey Lott—and swiped three bases. The Raiders also turned a double play on defense.

For Tallahassee State, Cade Culbreth led the charge with two home runs, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Andrew Duncan added two hits and drove in four, while Gabe Del Fuoco also notched a multi-hit outing. The Eagles walked eight times and turned two double plays in the field while playing error-free defense.

With Tuesday's win, Northwest Florida State's magic number is down to three. If the Raiders can take Thursday's game and sweep Saturday's home doubleheader, they will clinch their third consecutive Panhandle Conference championship outright. Winning two of the next three would result in a shared title with No. 13 Gulf Coast State, as the two teams would finish tied atop the standings. Anything less would leave the Raiders in second or third place, depending on the outcome of the Pensacola State–Chipola series. Pensacola State kept its hopes alive Tuesday night with a 4-1 win, staying within two games of the Raiders.

Northwest Florida returns to Tallahassee on Thursday for its final road game of the regular season, with first pitch scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (CDT). The Raiders will then close out the regular season at home on Saturday with a pivotal doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. These final three games are critical—not only for a shot at the conference crown, but also to determine whether the Raiders will earn the right to host a first-round playoff regional or be forced into a neutral-site play-in game for the final berth in the FCSAA State Tournament.