Baseball Gets Past TNXL Academy in Walkoff Fashion, 7-6

Baseball Gets Past TNXL Academy in Walkoff Fashion, 7-6
January 23, 2021
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Santa Fe College baseball played host to TNXL Academy on Saturday afternoon, and the two teams went into extra innings before the Saints won it on a walkoff single in the bottom of the 11th from Tyler Shelnut.
 
The Ducks were the first to bring runs across. TNXL plated two in the top of the second inning with an RBI double, a stolen base at third, and a proceeding Santa Fe throwing error to jump ahead 2-0.
 
The Saints loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning with no outs, and were able to produce one run on a sacrifice fly from Luis Rodriguez to bring home Jonathan Logsdon. 
 
The fourth inning yielded more offense for Santa Fe, as they jumped out to a 4-2 lead. 
 
TNXL scored in the top of the fifth to bring the score to 4-3, then went ahead 5-4 with two runs in the top of the sixth.
 
Coy Phillips knotted the game at 5-5 with an RBI single in the seventh, then eventually came around from third to push the Saints in front after a ball got away from the catcher. 
 
The Saints came one out away from securing the victory in the top of the ninth, but TNXL came up with a timely hit to force extra innings.
 
Shelnut's walkoff single in the 11th, however, got past the Ducks' third baseman, handing the Saints win No. 1 of 2021. 
 
The Saints' pitching staff was solid in the victory, conceding just one earned run.
 
Robb Adams started on the mound and pitched five innings, giving up just three hits with no earned runs. Trent Becker followed out of the bullpen and threw two scoreless innings before giving way to Shelnut, who pitched the eighth, ninth, and tenth frames, allowing just one run.
 
The winning pitcher was Dillon Walters, who tossed a scoreless inning in the 11th.
 
Xavier Moronta and Shelnut paced the Saints' bats with two hits each. 
 
Wiggs' Words
"We didn't play good defense at all today," said Head Coach Johnny Wiggs. "We gave up five unearned runs. We will need to clean that up if we are going to win consistently. We have two more games tomorrow and a lot of guys will get opportunities."
 
Up Next
The Saints will play two games on Sunday, Jan. 24 at the St. Petersburg Tournament. Indian River State College will be the first opponent for Santa Fe at 10:00 a.m. on the neutral field, followed by a 1:00 p.m. matchup with St. Petersburg College.