High School Baseball: Pace outlasts Gulf Breeze in 10 innings of suspense-filled game

Turns out, the final game of the regular season for the state-acclaimed, Pace High baseball team, became the most memorable one.

And likely, one of the most gratifying.

The Patriots manufactured a pair of 10th inning runs on a sacrifice fly and a bunt, then got clutch relief by freshman Tanner Owens in only his second game to hold on for a 7-6 victory Wednesday against rival Gulf Breeze.

An overflow crowd at the Dolphin Baseball Field watched a game lasting 3 hours, 32 minutes and had Gulf Breeze rallying three times to tie the score.

“It was real exciting,” said Owens, whose only other appearance on Pace varsity team was one inning in the championship game of the Aggie Classic at Tate. “I’m glad I got this opportunity and I want to thank the coaches for relying on me to do that.

“I love these kind of games. They are so competitive. There’s nothing better.”

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The Patriots, who improved their record to 22-2, are ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, No. 4 overall in Florida by MaxPreps through all classifications. They began the 10th with senior first baseman Jason McKenzie lacing a double. It was the fourth time he reached base in the game, including blasting a first-pitch, solo home run in the first inning.

Ty Humphreys hit an hard infield grounder that was mishandled to put two runners on, then Grant Walters had a single to load the bases. Catcher Matthew Musgrove followed with a sacrifice fly to score McKenzie. Nash Pires, who started the game on the mound, put down a perfect bunt where the only play was at first base, thus allowing another run to score.

That became the decisive run.

(Pires) is very unselfish,” said Pace coach Jason McBride. “He finds ways to get on base. In high school baseball, the bunt comes into play so much. You have to be able to bunt and get it down. Especially in games like this.”

With its last at bat, Gulf Breeze (16-8) got a leadoff single from Bryson Roullier. He then took a chance at stealing second, but was nabbed on a perfect throw from Musgrove.

“We have some of the best catchers anywhere,” Owens said. “Matty, he’s a blessing. That was a major part of the win.”

The Dolphins’ Gavin Quenneville followed with a double, moved over on a wild pitch and scored on Troy Coughlin’s ground out. Owens then dialed in and got Gavin Howard to fly out to medium centerfield to end the game.

“I was pretty stressed at first,” Owens said. “But I had a really good defense behind me, so it relaxed me quite a bit. I knew my coaches were behind me, also, so that helped.”

The Patriots had taken a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning after Pires had an RBI single in the fourth inning and Glenn Brooks scored on a ground out in the fifth.

The Dolphins tied the game with two runs in their half of the inning on an error, then sacrifice fly by Seth Frantz. The score remained that way until both teams scored a run the ninth to further extend the game.

“We were 2-0 in extra innings coming into this game so it was deep waters that we were familiar with, comfortable with,” said Gulf Breeze first year coach Warren Hanna. “The difference is that Pace is number one (in 6A) for a reason.  They kept applying the pressure, we kept coming back, but in the end they prevailed.

“We have now played them three times,” he said, referring to a preseason game that was an 8-7 Pace win. “And I would say out of 24 innings, we have been in 22 of them. Pace knows they are in for a dogfight when they play us. And we know what we are in for when we play them.”

The night completed a regular-season schedule filled with big wins for Pace, which produced the best record in coach Jason McBride’s nine seasons. As a player under former Pace coach Charlie Warner, McBride was on a team that had only two losses and finished 30-3 with a state playoff loss.

“(Season record) is a testament to our seniors and their leadership,” McBride said. “A lot of these guys have been starting for three years. It means something to them, and you can tell by the way they compete.

“I think it also means something for these underclassmen to see these seniors go out like this.”

Here are three other takeaways from the game.

FAITH IN YOUTH

McBride had no hesitation in turning to his freshman reliever, Tanner Owens, to close out the game.

“I had confidence in Tanner. He is a strike-thrower,” McBride said. “That was the most important thing for me. And he’s competitor. He pitched an inning in championship game of Aggie Classic. It’s a big moment, but he’s a strike thrower.

“He gave up a few hits, but I’m okay with that, because I know he’s going to throw strikes and that’s what you want at end of a ballgame. You want someone you know can throw strikes and if they hit and beat you, well, then hit it and beat you."

His performance under pressure was no surprise, either, to Warren Hanna.

“Tanner has always played at a high level from a very young age,” he said. "He was very poised out there. He has played with a lot of my freshman and sophomores on this team. I knew he was mentally capable of handling the situation. I was hoping we would capitalize on his fastball.

Owens he relied on four messages in his head.

“Just relax. Take a deep breath. Just live the moment. And enjoy,” he said.

MOVING ON

Gulf Breeze will end its regular season on Thursday against Navarre.  The Dolphins know they will face Tate on Tuesday in a semifinal game of the District 1-6A Tournament that begins at Pace.

The Patriots take on the Navarre-Milton winner from Monday night’s play-in game in the other semifinal on Tuesday. The championship game is at the higher seed’s home field on Thursday.

“Our mindset is that we have to have a short memory from this game and focus on Navarre and next week against Tate,” Hanna said. “And see if we can get opportunity to play (Pace) again.”

TAKING STOCK

The Patriots finished one of their best regular-season records in school history against a difficult schedule. Their only losses were to Colquitt County (Georgia) and South Walton in non-district games.

With Gulf Breeze, a highly-competitive rivalry is developing.

“It was a great win against a well-coached team,” McBride said. (Gulf Breeze) plays hard. The game could have gotten either way.”

Senior Alex McCranie had a couple pressure innings of relief when he pitched out of jams with runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth inning.

“McCranie could have gone back out there (in 10th inning),” McBride said. “But he pitched an inning (Tuesday) night and I didn’t want to risk it this close to the district tournament."

Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Baseball: Pace outlasts Gulf Breeze in 10 innings of suspense-filled game