Commodores 12-4 in conference season

Panama City, FL-The GC baseball team earned an impressive doubleheader sweep over Tallahassee State College on Saturday, winning game one 8-3 and game two 9-6 at home in Panama City.  

In game one, the Commodores used timely hitting and strong pitching to take control. Tallahassee State scored first on a passed ball in the opening inning, but Gulf Coast answered right away. Carson Zagryn and Bray Touchstone each hit a home run in the bottom of the first to give the Commodores a 2-1 lead.  The game stayed close early, as Tallahassee State tied it in the third and again in the fifth. However, Gulf Coast responded every time. Zagryn had a big day at the plate, collecting three hits, including two home runs and a double. His second home run came in the fourth inning and gave the Commodores the lead again.  In the fifth inning, Gulf Coast broke the tie with clutch hitting. Lucas Badalato and Zagryn each delivered RBI doubles to push the lead to 5-3. The Commodores added more runs in the sixth to put the game away.

On the mound, Reese Marcum earned the win, pitching five strong innings with seven strikeouts. Pierce Juhan came in to close the game and secure the victory. Gulf Coast finished with 10 hits in the 8-3 win.

In game two, the Commodores continued their strong play, using a big fourth inning to pull away for a 9-6 win.  Gulf Coast started fast again, scoring three runs in the first inning. Touchstone drove in a run with a single, and the offense kept pressure on the defense. Tallahassee State responded in the third inning with two home runs to take a 4-3 lead.  The Commodores answered in a big way in the fourth inning. C. Zagryn hit an RBI double to tie the game, and Touchstone followed with a two-run double to give Gulf Coast the lead. Sam Brown added another RBI single to cap the four-run inning and make it 7-4.Gulf Coast added two more runs later in the game to extend the lead. Tallahassee State tried to rally in the seventh with a two-run home run, but the Commodores held on to finish the sweep.  Touchstone led the way in game two with three hits, while Zagryn and Brown also had multiple hits. The Commodores showed patience at the plate, drawing seven walks in the game.

Donovan Rabiei earned the win on the mound, and Kasten Goebbert provided strong relief, striking out five batters over two scoreless innings.