Region 1-2A: North Florida Christian rolls over PSJ

TALLAHASSEE — As one of seven seniors on the North Florida Christian School baseball team, Matt Hodges understood what Friday afternoon’s Region 1-2A semifinal game against Port St. Joe represented.

More than a chance to advance to next week’s regional championship game, the matchup gave the Eagle seniors an opportunity to bury some bad memories from last year’s late-inning collapse against the Tiger Sharks.

That helps explain why NFC players were still chest-bumping and high-fiving each other long after Friday’s game was safely out of reach. The Eagles (24-4) pounded out a 20-3 victory over Port St. Joe and will continue their quest for the school’s third state title.

NFC will play the Bozeman-Freeport winner next Friday in the Region 1-2A final. Port St. Joe ended its season 16-13.

“That loss last year stuck with us,” said Hodges, who had a double and a home run to help kick-start NFC’s offense. “That’s why we came out with all that energy. It started in August with all the morning workouts and getting up and doing what we needed to do to get ready for the season. We wanted to come after these guys.”

They did more than that. The Eagles scored five runs in the first inning, two in the second, eight in the third and five in the fourth to force the game to end after five innings because of the mercy rule. Port St. Joe tried four pitchers, but none could find a way to stop the NFC offense.

“We played with a lot of intensity,” NFC coach Mike Posey said. “I felt like our guys had something to prove. We swung the bat well from beginning to end.”

Hodges, the starting left fielder, shortstop Bobby Rice, pitcher John Nogowski and center fielder Martin Shipman each had two hits. Nogowski (9-2) pitched all five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out six.

“It started in the first inning,” Port St. Joe coach T.C. Brewer said. “We didn’t get off on the right foot with the pitching. But they hit some pretty good balls, too.”

FSU signee Roman Quinn, a Port St. Joe senior, had one hit against Nogowski, who also signed with the Seminoles. Left fielder Austin Howze had a two-run single in the fourth to highlight the Sharks’ offense.

• Port St. Joe 000 30 — 3 6 3
• NFC              528 5 x— 20 16 1
• WP: John Nogowski (9-2). LP: JMason Ray. NFC hitters: Bobby Rice 2-3, 2 runs; Nogowski 2-2, 2 runs; Gillis Langston 2B, 2 runs; Matt Hodges 2-2, 2B, HR, 2 runs; Martin Shipman 2-2, 2B. Port St. Joe hitters: Roman Quinn 1-3; Ray 1-2, run; Austin Howze 1-2, 2 RBIs.