By TRAVIS DOWNEY

Northwest Florida Daily News
315-4476 | travisd@nwfdailynews.com

CANTONMENT - Nothing has come easily for the Niceville baseball team in 2009.

So even after Pace had jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the District 1-5A championship game Thursday night at Tate, Eagles' coach Brad Phillips wasn't surprised in the least to see his team still playing as if it led.

 "We've kind of been there, done that as far as the tight, close games," Phillips had said earlier in the week.  

Those past experiences paid off in a big way.

Niceville scored seven runs in a watershed sixth inning that saw the Eagles' bats come alive just in time to defend their district crown with a 7-6 come-from-behind win.

"To win (the district), much less in this fashion, is nice," Phillips said as his team piled on top of each other on the pitcher's mound behind him.

As inept as Niceville's lineup looked through the first five innings, the Eagles' bats were even more impressive in the sixth, as they pounded out seven runs on one error and four timely hits - none of which loomed larger than Robby Campbell's game-winning three-run home run that sailed over the left field fence.

"He's little guy but he's a big-time player," Phillips said.

Danny Collins led off the frame by reaching first when a called strike three rolled past the Pace catcher. A Michael Wells single and a hit batsman loaded the bases before Ben DeVall was also hit by a pitch to push across Niceville's first run. Kyle McDorman then hit into a fielder's choice that made it 6-2.  

Chris Krenek plated a run with a sacrifice before Jordan Demos made it a 6-4 ballgame on a bloop single, setting the stage for an unlikely hero.

Cutter Tarpley, who had struck out in his previous three at-bats, slapped a single into right field to keep the inning alive before Campbell stepped in and completed the comeback, crushing the first pitch he saw well over the fence in left and sending the Niceville contingent that made the trip to Tate into a frenzy.

"It was curveball," Campbell, who finished the night 2-for-4, said. "It was the best feeling in the world."

It was a nightmarish start for Niceville, as Pace jumped on Eagles' starting pitcher Hunter Phillips for four runs on four hits and a pair of walks in the bottom of the first.  

But just as it had done all season, Niceville refused to give in before giving way to reliever Robert Price in the fifth.

"He gave up that four spot in the first and could have thrown in the towel, but he kept battling," Phillips said.

Niceville will host Tallahassee Chiles in the Class 5A regional quarterfinals.

By ADAM PRUIETT

Northwest Florida Daily News
315-4421 | adamp@nwfdailynews.com

CANTONMENT - There was no time like the present for the Niceville baseball team to start resembling the 2008 final four team.

Behind power pitching and power hitting, the Eagles barreled into the District 1-5A tournament finals Wednesday with a 9-2 victory over Choctawhatchee at Tate's Aggie Field.

Defending champion Niceville (18-9) will play in the title game at 7:30 tonight against the winner of Pace and Tate.

Niceville has played a lot of small ball this season, but Wednesday was all about the long ball. Michael Wells, David Hill and Danny Collins all walloped home runs and five of the Eagles' 11 hits went for extra bases.

"I guess it was just the fact that we knew it was win or go home, so we had to be clutch," Hill, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, said of the power surge. "A lot had to do with the fact that we were trying to hit singles, not home runs, and home runs came."

Meanwhile, Shawn McDorman shook off a rocky first inning to throw an exceptional complete game in which he struck out 12.

"I just hit a groove," McDorman said. "(Catcher) Michael (Wells) called the right pitches, we had a couple people in the dugout like Robert Price who were helping me out a lot. He sees everything in there. I have no idea how."

The Indians (13-12) scored one run in the first when Taylor Kelley had a sacrifice fly after David Weber and Tanner Black opened the game with back-to-back hits, but a potential double that could have led to a big inning was just foul and McDorman worked his way out of the jam.

McDorman didn't allow another run until the seventh inning, when the game was already decided after Niceville's power display.

"They all swung the bats, and they did a good job," Choctaw coach Scott Johnson said of the Eagles. "Our boys battled and came up on the short end."

Johnson said that Wells had Niceville's two most important at bats. He tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning by cranking an opposite field home run before jump-starting a three-run fourth with a single that the Indians misplayed into a triple.

Hill followed Wells by launching his first homer of the year, a two-run shot to left off Kelley. Chris Krenek then drove in Ben DeVall, who had doubled, with a sacrifice fly as Niceville led 4-1.

Collins registered Niceville's third homer when he creamed a two-run shot off Mykal Bailey in the fifth inning.

Robby Campbell, Wells and DeVall each had two hits for Niceville, while Weber and Black had two apiece for Choctaw.

Choctaw        100 000 1 - 2  7  4

Niceville        010 323 x - 9 11 3

WP: Shawn McDorman; LP: Taylor Kelley

By WILL PARCHMAN

Northwest Florida Daily News
315-4484 | willp@nwfdailynews.com

TATE - Jordan Demos' full-extension diving grab on Monday wasn't just the prettiest addition to the left fielder's season-long highlight reel.

It also assured Niceville's quest for a second consecutive District 1-5A tourney title will last at least another game.

The second-seeded Eagles nipped seventh-seeded Fort Walton Beach 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the district tourney, and the Vikings need to look no further than Robert Price's commanding performance from the mound and his backing defense as to why the Eagles are extending their season and the Vikings are ending theirs.

The Vikings (12-10) were threatening Niceville's 2-1 lead in the fourth inning with runners on first and second and no outs. Price struck out one and retired the next batter before J.D. Little crushed a shot to the left-center gap that seemed destined to bring in the tying run and likely the go-ahead score as well.

Demos had other ideas.

"It was a good play, I'll take that all day," Demos said. "I didn't have a good day at the plate, but helping any way I can like that is perfect."

 "Huge play, probably the play of the game looking back on it now," Niceville coach Brad Phillips said. "He's been battling an injury and for him to go full speed like that and to lay his body on the line for us, it was nice to see."

Price was tremendously effective on the mound for Niceville (17-9), pounding the strike zone and denying the Vikings an avenue to break open a tight, low-scoring affair. He allowed just five hits and struck out six.

Austin Sullivan and Alex Mara made sure it was both offenses which struggled to score, combining to hold the Eagles to just three hits.

But Niceville got on the board after a passed ball moved runners to second and third in the third inning, and Chris Krenek hit a sacrifice fly. The Eagles then added another in the fourth when Michael Wells cranked a one-run single to center for a 2-0 lead.

The Vikings found a rare opening from Price in the fourth when Mitchell Ankerson lined an RBI single to score Josh Brister from second base and cut the lead in half.

"They made the plays, and that's the key, good pitching and defense, timely hitting," Vikings coach David Garner said. "And they're still playing, and we're going to the house."

Niceville will face the winner of the Choctawhatchee-Escambia matchup, which is set for 4:30 p.m. today

FWB        000 100 0 - 1 5 2

Niceville  011 000 x - 2 3 1

WP: Robert Price; LP: Austin Sullivan

By WILL PARCHMAN

Northwest Florida Daily News
315-4484 | willp@nwfdailynews.com

PACE - If the Niceville baseball team hopes to repeat as District 1-5A tourney champs, they'll have to do it as the No. 2 seed.

And the Eagles have a limp offensive performance against top-seeded Pace to thank.

In a battle of district unbeatens for the top spot in the district tourney, Pace came up with a walk-off run in the seventh inning on a costly outfield error to inch past Niceville 2-1 on Thursday.

With the game knotted 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh and a runner on second, Pace's John Soutullo laced a single into left field. But instead of having to stop at third as he would have otherwise, a bobble allowed the runner to come around to a mob scene at home plate to tally the game-winning run.

"We came up there short in the end, had a chance in the top of the seventh, and that's part of it," Niceville coach Brad Phillips said. "(C.J. Bradford) pitched his way out of it."

Robby Campbell led the way for the Eagles, going 3-for-4 with a home run and then a triple in the top of the seventh inning. The Eagles (13-9, 5-1) ultimately loaded the bases that inning but couldn't push home a run to put them ahead.

Eagles starter Robert Price gave up a run on three hits through the first two innings, and he got out of a bases-loaded jam after centerfielder Michael Couelho made a brilliant diving grab with two outs in the second.

Pace's Ryan Parazine stroked an RBI single into left-center to open the scoring run and put the Patriots (17-2, 6-0) out in front in the first inning. But Price settled down over the next four innings, denying Pace an opportunity to build on its 1-0 lead and allowing the Eagles to pull even in the fifth.

Campbell preyed on a two-out offering from Bradford, one of the starting pitcher's few mistakes of the night, pulling it down the line for a solo homer to even the score at 1. But much like Price had done earlier, Bradford, who struck out 10, didn't allow Niceville many more openings.

Niceville 000 010 0 - 1 6 2

Pace    100 000 1 - 2 7 1

WP: C.J. Bradford; LP: Robert Price

By ADAM PRUIETT

Northwest Florida Daily News
315-4421 | adamp@nwfdailynews.com

NICEVILLE - The Niceville baseball team is used to scratching and clawing its way to wins this season.

So it was a welcome sight for the Eagles to take a big bite out of an opponent on Friday in the Beach Bash, as they captured a 10-0 run-rule victory over Henry Clay (Ky.) that was preceded by a more typical 5-3 triumph over Paul Dunbar (Ky.).

Click here to view more photos.

Niceville (10-7) got a pair of strong pitching performances from Robert Price and Shawn McDorman, who both fired complete games. Price didn't allow an earned run in the first game and gave up six hits while striking out four. McDorman wasn't sharp - he walked five in five innings - but still grinded out a shutout by baring down when Henry Clay had runners in scoring position.

Niceville home runs were key in both victories. The Eagles went ahead for good against Paul Dunbar when Danny Collins walloped his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third inning that gave Niceville a 3-2 lead.

Michael Wells drove in the eventual winning run in the fifth with an RBI single, and Cutter Tarpley followed Kyle McDorman's triple with a sacrifice fly for insurance in the sixth. Kyle McDorman and Robby Campbell each had two hits in the first game.

Against Henry Clay, Kyle McDorman, a sophomore, cranked the first home run of his varsity career, sending a three-run blast to straightaway center field to highlight a five-run first inning. Niceville reached the mercy-rule behind a four-run fifth inning. Chris Krenek had his second RBI single of the contest, and Jordan Demos capped the win with a two-run double to left center.

Krenek and Kyle McDorman both had two hits against Henry Clay.