Andy Chacon swings for a hit against the Rend Lake Warriors at the Pensacola State 2014 Invitational.
By: Ally Doty
The 2014 Pirate Baseball Invitational took place Saturday, Feb. 22 through Monday, Feb. 24where the Pensacola State College baseball team welcomed four out of city teams and battled their way through the weekend.
PSC first played on Saturday morning against the Rend Lake Warriors from Illinois.
Rend Lake scored two early runs in the first inning and a third run in the second inning. The Pirates returned the favor in the third inning, scoring three consecutive runs, tying the game.
With a quick response, RLC scored three more runs of their own and beat out the Pirates 7-3.
Imagine Dragon’s hit song, Radioactive, rang throughout the stadium as the Pirates readied the field for the next tournament game between Rend Lake and Marion Military Institute from Marion, Alabama.
Later that evening, PSC played Marion in their second match of the day, bringing heat to the cold atmosphere, defeating the Tigers 6-1.
Cheers could be heard echoing throughout the Pensacola main campus from the Marion Tigers as the sun went down Saturday evening when the game took a turn after three uneventful innings.
After MMI scored at the top of the fourth inning, the Pirates got antsy for a run of their own.
PSC Freshman Conner Baker from Pace hit a pop fly to left field, taking two bases and making MMI Pitcher, Joseph Hudson, sweat. After two more hits, Baker scored PSC’s first run of the game.
It was all uphill from there as the hits came to the Pirates inning after inning and runs from Alex Stephens, Hunter Hall, Andy Chacon, Logan Collier and Marcus Morrisette helped PSC take the win, 6-1.
The Pirates Games on Sunday against RLC and the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College were canceled due to heavy rainfall and games resumed Monday at six p.m. Against RLC.
On Monday, RLC scored two easy runs in the first inning. PSC mid-fielder, Stephens, hits a single between first and second and then steals second base while Morrisette is at bat.
A mis-handle by the RLC catcher, Eli Miller, gave Stephens the opportunity to steal third and home plate, making it a 2-1 game.
In the third inning, PSC replaced their starting pitcher with Pete Ohmer, who struck out three consecutive hitters and gave PSC the opportunity to pull ahead.
Ulysses Fluellen and Stephens scored runs in the bottom of the third inning and PSC took the lead 3-2.
Runs rallied between the two teams all the way through the sixth inning when Will Fisher, Tiger from Havana, tied the game, 4-4.
PSC failed to score points in the bottom of the sixth.
RLC conducted three outs in the top of the seventh, which gave PSC another chance to go for the win.
And they did.
Morrissette got hit with the ball and was walked to first base. The next two hitters, Chacon and Will Mullen, were both walked as well, giving the Pirates loaded bases for the first time all game.
Collier was also struck with the ball and Morrisette walked home, giving PSC the win, 5-4.
The Pirates will battle the Delgado College Dolphins Thursday, Feb. 27 and Friday, Feb. 28.
