Get the Brooms Out: #Birdgang sweeps GRCC in four games, extends winning streak to nine

By Brenden Martin
TCC Sports Information
@brendenmartin28

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 4, 2014) - The Tallahassee Community College Eagles beat up on Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College 8-3 in game two of Tuesday's doubleheader to complete the four-game sweep of the Raiders. 

Tallahassee (21-5) entered the final game of back-to-back doubleheaders against Grand Rapids on Tuesday, looking to sweep the Raiders in all four games. By doing so, the Eagles' winning streak is now at nine games and just one win shy of their second double-digit winning streak of the season. Tallahassee started the season with 11 consecutive victories. 

Tallahassee will go for ten in a row when it hosts St. Johns River State College at 5 p.m. Thursday. 

The Eagles tried to do what they have done in every game in the series: jump out to an early, commanding lead. The Raiders made that task a little tougher in this one. 

Grand Rapids struck first, putting up a run in the top of the first. Not to be outdone, the Eagles drove in two of their own in the bottom half, scoring on a wild pitch and later an RBI single off the bat of Cody Borup. The Eagles had a 2-1 advantage at the end of the first, but Grand Rapids countered with two more runs in the second. 

Tallahassee tied the game in the home half of the second when Johnny Blue Craig drove in Ricky Negron from second on a single to right field. 

On the mound, Tallahassee starting pitcher Ben Levine gave up three runs in three innings but exited with a 7-3 lead. Logan Elliot held the Raiders scoreless over the final four innings to earn the victory. 

Prior to Levine's exit, however, the Eagles picked the right moment for a big inning. 

Three batters into the bottom of the third, Quincy Nieporte hit an RBI-single up the middle to score Bobby Rice from second. That was just the first of four runs in the inning. Another came off of a wild pitch, one off an RBI-single from Negron and the last one the result of an RBI-triple from Dillon Jayne. 

The Eagles broke the game wide open and never looked back. They extended their lead to five after tacking on another run in the bottom of the sixth. 

Six different players for Tallahassee recorded an RBI. Craig and Ryne Willard each went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Craig scored one run. 

Thompson returns in game one victory 

Tallahassee won its third straight against Grand Rapids in Tuesday's opener, 14-2. 

The story for the Eagles was starting pitcher Will Thompson, who made his season debut approximately 12 months after Tommy John Surgery. Thompson held the Raiders hitless through three innings. 

Monday's doubleheader between these two teams resulted in a sweep for the Eagles as the offense put a beat down on the opposing pitching, scoring a combined 16 runs in two games. The Eagles were looking to ride their hot streak into Tuesday's series finale. 

Before taking the field Tuesday, Tallahassee moved up in Tuesday's newly-released Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Baseball Coaches' Poll, sharing the No. 2 ranking with rival Chipola College. The Eagles are also holding the No. 16 slot in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Baseball Top 20 National Poll. 

When your ball club is pitching and hitting well, you can expect to dominate. This has been one of the keys to the Eagles' success so far this season. 

Thompson established his dominance on the mound early, fanning two batters in the first inning. He sat down four of the first ten batters he faced by way of the strikeout. 

D.J. McKnight started things off for the Eagle offense in the bottom of the first, ripping a line drive into right field scoring two and halting at second. McKnight would later score on an RBI-double by Borup. Tallahassee put up three in the bottom of the first and they were just getting started. 

Numerous errors by the Grand Rapids battery allowed Eagle hitters to get on base early in the bottom of the second, and those errors would prove to be costly. Christian Dicks stepped in and knocked across two runs on a single to left field. 

Matt Olive was the next batter and was drilled on the first pitch of the at-bat. Grand Rapids pitcher Kyle Schweiger was pulled in the second inning after giving up ten earned runs and six hits. 

The Eagles went on to put up an astonishing eight runs in the second inning. Tallahassee's lead increased to 14 by the end of the fourth frame. 

Thompson held Grand Rapids scoreless and hitless in his outing on the mound. He recorded six strikeouts and just one walk on 38 pitches in three innings of work. 

Cody Alling replaced Thompson in the top of the fourth with the mercy rule becoming inevitable and, for the second time in five games, the Eagles flirted with a no-hitter. 

Grand Rapids finally got its first hit of the game with one out in the fifth and went on to score two runs in the inning. 

Four different players for Tallahassee knocked across two or more RBI in game one. McKnight finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and scored three times. He also walked twice. Borup was also 2-for-2 with two RBI and scored twice. Dicks went 2-for-2 with three RBI and one walk. Geremy Walton was 3-for-4 with a solo homer. He crossed home plate twice.