Northwest Florida Tripped Up in Extra Innings
LAKELAND, Fla. – The pitching was again spectacular, but Northwest Florida State couldn't muster enough offense as the Raiders were tripped up by Miami Dade, 4-3, in 10 innings in the Region VIII Tournament at Joker Marchant Stadium on Friday.
The Raiders (31-16) will face Florida SouthWestern in an elimination game Saturday at 12 p.m. (CT).
Thomas Wilhite was a bulldog on the mound. In 9.1 innings, he allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.
After Miami Dade pushed across two runs in the 10th – one on a wild pitch and the other on a two-out triple – to take a 4-2 lead, Northwest Florida scored on a Seth Williams double then loaded the bases with one out but failed to plate the tying run.
The Raiders struck in the first on a one-out RBI single from Austin Kelly. The Raiders loaded the bases, but Miami Dade got a strikeout and a fly ball to escape any more damage.
Carlos Guzman extended the NWF lead to 2-0 in the second with an RBI single to left scoring Nasir Frederick. Guzman, a .319 hitter on the season, is 7-for-14 with three doubles, a home run, and four runs batted in for the tournament.
Aside from solo home runs in the third and eighth, Wilhite kept the Sharks at bay. The right-hander did not allow a runner past second base and tossed five 3-up, 3-down frames in the game.
The Raiders out-hit Miami Dade 12-7 and had runners on base in every inning except two.
Northwest Florida is set to face Florida SouthWestern for the second time in three days. The Raiders won the first matchup, 12-4, on Thursday. The winner advances to play on Sunday against the winner of the Miami Dade/Santa Fe game.
For more information on Northwest Florida State Athletics, visit NWFRaiders.com or follow the team on Twitter at @NWFRaiders.
