Breds split first two games in Florida

“We’re still a long way from where we want to be,” Whitaker continued. “We have some guys that are slumping, but it’s still a long season.”

The second game on the road trip yielded a different result with the Gulf Breeze Dolphins slipping past Harrison Co. in a 3-1 decision. The Breds picked up only two hits in the contest, going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Terry Smith lamented, “We didn’t get enough hits and we’re leaving too many people on base. We’re letting too many good pitches go by. We have to be more aggressive at the plate, especially on those pitches on the outside part of the plate.”

In the win over Crestview, the host school got on the scoreboard first with a couple of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Bulldog senior Kaleb Kompoltowicz led off with a grounder to third that turned into a three-base error when the throw to first short-hopped the first baseman and rolled down the right field line. Junior Brandon Kopp followed with an RBI single to right center field, scoring Kompoltowicz with the first run of the game. Kopp proceeded to steal second base and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Crestview improved its lead to 2-0 when junior Jace Jernigan grounded out to second with Kopp racing home from third.

Harrison Co. tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth frame. Senior Cliffy McIlvain ignited the comeback by singling to center field to lead off the inning. Junior Jashon Lewis followed with a run-scoring triple down the right field line that cut the deficit to 2-1. After the next two batters were retired, senior Eli Phelps connected on a base hit to left center field, plating Lewis and knotting up the contest.

The Breds took the lead in the top of the seventh. Starting the rally with two outs, McIlvain once again set the table when he singled to right center field. Lewis followed with a base hit to right field with McIlvain moving to second base. Both runners advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch putting runners on second and third. Senior Corey Vaughn then came to the dish and blasted a triple down the right field line, scoring both runners and giving Harrison Co. its first advantage of the matchup at 4-2. Vaughn put the game out of reach when he crossed the plate courtesy of a wild pitch setting the score at 5-2.

Phelps retired three of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh inning to preserve the victory.

In their 3-1 loss to Gulf Breeze, the Breds failed to take advantage of Dolphin senior starting pitcher Londen Taylor, a Southern Mississippi University football signee, who was making his first start of the season. Despite collecting just two base hits in the game, Harrison Co. was able to get runners on base thanks to walks and errors committed by the Gulf Breeze defense. However, the Breds left seven runners stranded in the contest, including four runners who died in scoring position in the first four innings.

The Dolphins got all the runs they would need in the second inning. Junior Tommy Regan led off by picking up a base on balls with sophomore Javier Mercado taking Regan’s place on base as a courtesy runner. Junior Josh Peterson followed with a single to left field. Senior Battle Alberson, a University of Tennessee-Chattanooga football signee, then laid down a sacrifice bunt that was mishandled for an error, loading the bases with nobody out. Junior Roman Jackson, who has verbally committed to play baseball at Xavier University, pounded a base hit in the hole between second and third, bringing home Mercado and Peterson for a 2-0 lead.

From that point on, a quintet of Harrison Co. pitchers settled down to give up just one run and three hits over the remainder of the contest. Unfortunately, the Breds’ lack of timely hitting kept them on the wrong side of the score.

Gulf Breeze tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth frame. After the first two outs were recorded, Peterson doubled and reached third on a wild pitch. Alberson then delivered an RBI single between first and second, scoring Peterson for a 3-0 advantage.

Harrison Co. had a chance to score multiple runs in the top of the seventh but a great throw by Dolphin senior Bryson Rouillier, a Jacksonville State University football signee, took the wind out of the Breds’ sails.

With one out, Vaughn walked and advanced to third base when sophomore Donavan Walker reached second on a two-base error by the Gulf Breeze shortstop. The next batter, McIlvain, punched a base hit through the left side of the infield, plating Vaughn. However, Walker attempted to score as well but a great throw by Rouillier to the plate trapped Walker in a rundown in which he was tagged out, snuffing the rally. Dolphin senior Kerrigan Hale retired Thorobred junior Brian Vaughn on a fly ball to center field to end the game.

Harrison Co. saw its record fall to 5-4 while Gulf Breeze improved to 7-9.