Willhoite’s Homer Lifts NWF Past Gulf Coast
NICEVILLE, Fla. – Trace Willhoite launched a 1-1 pitch deep into the Niceville night and over the left field wall to propel Northwest Florida to a 4-3, extra-innings win over Gulf Coast on Thursday at the Raider Baseball Complex.
Willhoite was 3-for-4 on the day with his biggest hit coming to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Raiders (18-9, 4-3 PC) tied the game in the eighth on Reagan Burford's sacrifice fly and Dylan DeLucia completely dominated the Commodores in the ninth by striking out the side to finish off a spectacular outing.
After Caleb Reis fanned two of the three hitters he faced the 10th, Willhoite ended the game with his second homer of the season.
DeLucia struck out a career-high 14 batters in nine innings of work; it was the most strikeouts by a NWF starter since James Granat punched out 15 hitters in a seven-inning, complete game victory over Gordon State on Feb. 28, 2015. The right-hander surrendered three runs on six hits and walked two. Gulf Coast could muster only one hit after scoring its third and final run in the fifth.
Northwest Florida got on the board first scoring on Seth Williams single in the third inning. Gulf Coast answered in the fourth with a run-scoring ground out.
Delucia ran into trouble in the fifth when her surrendered a leadoff double followed by a walk. The Commodores took a 3-1 lead two batters later on a single.
Carlos Guzman drove in a run in the sixth with a single before Burford tied things two innings later.
The Raiders travel to Panama City to wrap up the series against Gulf Coast with a Saturday doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
For more information on Northwest Florida State Athletics, visit NWFRaiders.com or follow the team on Twitter at @NWFRaiders.