Northwest Florida Survives Chipola Rally, Earn 9-7 Victory

NICEVILLE, Fla. — The Northwest Florida State baesball jumped out to an early lead and fended off a late push from the Chipola Indians to secure a 9-7 win in a back-and-forth contest Thursday afternoon.

After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the second inning on an RBI single from Chipola's Garrett Harper, the Raiders responded in a big way in the bottom half. Preston Murphy tied things up with a double to left-center, bringing in a run. Tristan Bittle followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk to put Northwest on top, and Henry Allen capped off the inning with a two-RBI single, giving the Raiders a 4-1 advantage.

Northwest Florida kept the pressure on in the third. Matthew Farner ripped a double to center field to score another run. Murphy came through again with an RBI single, followed by Bittle, who poked one to the right side to drive in his second of the day. By the end of the third, the Raiders had built a comfortable 7-1 cushion.

But Chipola wouldn't go down quietly.

In the top of the fifth, Zaid Diaz launched a two-run homer to right field to cut into the Raiders' lead. The Indians kept inching closer, putting up runs in the sixth and seventh innings via a groundout, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI double, eventually trimming the deficit to just two runs.

Northwest managed to add a crucial insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and another in the seventh to maintain their edge. Chipola scored again in the eighth, but the Raiders held on to close out the game.

On the mound, Jackson Evers got the start for Northwest. The right-hander threw five innings, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out five and walking four. Bryon Rincones came on in relief to help preserve the lead in the later innings. Rincones tossed 4.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with six punchouts.

Trenton Lape got the start for Chipola and lasted just over an inning, giving up four runs on four hits and two walks. He was followed by a string of relievers as the Indians tried to slow the Raiders' hot bats.

Offensively, the Raiders totaled 10 hits. Leadoff man Tristan Bittle was the spark at the top of the lineup, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. Allen and Murphy each drove in two, while David Alvarez added two hits of his own.

The Raiders also showed strong plate discipline, drawing seven walks in the game. Defensively, they turned one double play to help limit Chipola's scoring chances.

Chipola, meanwhile, collected eight hits of their own. Diaz led the way with a 2-for-3 performance that included a home run, two RBIs, and two walks. Sam Parker also went 2-for-4, and the Indians matched the Raiders with seven team walks and a double play.

In the end, it was a strong early push and timely insurance runs that helped Northwest Florida State survive the late rally and walk away with a hard-earned 9-7 victory. This victory marks the Raiders fourth over the Indians this season, and their ninth in conference play, putting them one game back of #9 Gulf Coast in the Panhandle standings.

UP NEXT

The Raiders return to action this Saturday as they travel to Marianna for a doubleheader against Chipola, marking games five and six of the season series. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. With the postseason fast approaching, Northwest Florida State will look to ride its recent momentum and pick up two crucial wins to stay firmly in the conference race.