Raiders Close Regular Season with Sweep of Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Northwest Florida wrapped up the regular season in strong fashion, completing a four-game sweep of Tallahassee State with 5-2 and 10-0 victories Saturday. The wins extend the Raiders' streak to six and move them to 30-18 overall, including 14-10 in Panhandle Conference play, good for third place. Northwest Florida now awaits a decision from the FCSAA Baseball Committee to determine its postseason fate.

Game One: NWF 5, Tallahassee 2
Orlando Fernandez powered the Raiders at the plate, launching two home runs and driving in three runs. Xavier Rivera opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first, while Sam Bradley added a solo shot in the fourth. Fernandez followed with solo and two-run homers in the fifth and seventh innings to secure the win.

On the mound, Eli Jones delivered a strong start, allowing one run on three hits over five innings while striking out six. Alex Kruse provided scoreless relief, tossing 1.2 innings without allowing a hit. Angel Santiago swiped two bases, and the Raiders played clean defense, committing no errors.

Game Two: NWF 10, Tallahassee 0
Kaiden Linares led the offensive surge with five RBIs, highlighted by a two-run double in the second and a two-run single in the fourth. Northwest Florida added four runs in the fifth, fueled by a Brock Clayton home run, a Tallahassee error, and a sacrifice fly from Santiago.

Bradley Garrett dominated on the mound, surrendering just one hit over five scoreless innings while striking out six. Brady Martin closed the game with a perfect inning of relief.

The Raiders totaled 12 hits, with Hunter Tarchalski leading the way with three. Fernandez, Bradley, and Joe Cable each added multiple hits, while Tristan King drew three walks as Northwest Florida showed patience at the plate.