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Panthers open with win on last swing

Sunday, January 29, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AVON PARK — Consider the debut of the 2006 South Florida Community College Panthers a successful one.

Josh Welkes hit the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the seventh inning into right field to drive in Dwayne Bailey with the game-winning run as the Panthers came back to beat Florida College 4-3 in the first half of a doubleheader at Panther Field on Saturday. The second game was not complete at press time.

“If you’re going to play a one-run game, it’s nice to do it early in the season so you learn how to win those things,” SFCC head coach Rick Hitt said. “I was pleased with our effort, but I know we’ve got a long way to go.”

The Panthers trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning when Dale Slimick made it a one-run game with an RBI single to drive in Trey Cleveland. Tyler Wright’s infield single in the bottom of the sixth inning scored Nick Polston to tie the game and set up the last-inning drama.

Bailey worked a walk to open the frame and took two bases on Nick Stanley’s sacrifice bunt. After an intentional walk to Slimick, Welkes lined one over the second baseman’s head to score Bailey and end the game.

Florida College scored a run in the first without a hit, then got four hits in the top of the fourth to score two more runs and chase SFCC starter Chris Mester, who was struggling with location on his breaking balls, Hitt said.

Freshman right-hander Calvin Brutus came on in relief and was superb in his college debut, getting a ground ball to get out of the fourth and allowing just one hit against four strikeouts over the final 3 1/3 innings to get the win.

“What do you say?” Hitt said of Brutus. “He made all the pitches he need to and did an excellent job.”

With 51 more regular-season games to go, it’s hard to get too excited about winning just one game, but it’s still nice to get that first victory out of the way early, according to Hitt.

“I’m happy we got the first one under our belt,” he said. “It’s always fun to win one like that.”

SFCC second baseman Reco Jackson forces out Florida College’s Jonathan Hernandez in the process of turning a double play in the top of the seventh  inning of Saturday’s first game.