PANAMA CITY � There will come a day when the phrase �it�s still early� will be moot.
That would be just fine for the Gulf Coast baseball team, which stayed unbeaten in the Panhandle Conference following Monday�s 5-0 shutout of visiting Northwest Florida State. Conversely, the Raiders hope time doesn�t run out for them after falling to 0-4 in the conference.
It is indeed early with 16 games to go for both teams. But the importance of playing well this soon can�t be underscored. GC (25-9, 4-0) surged behind Brendan Leach�s five-hitter, while the Raiders dropped another game to a top team in the conference.
�The thing is, it is early, but every win counts,� GC coach Mike Kandler said. �A win today will be just as important as a win on April 13.
That�s easy for Kandler to say, as he watched Kevin Husum score three times and Trevin Hall account for two RBIs in the Commodores� second conference shutout. NWF State (16-12) put together only two threats against Leach in the second and fifth innings. Scottie Peavey had two of the Raiders� five hits and was doubled off first base to end the eighth.
Leach made sure to quell any chance for momentum on Monday. The DeFuniak Springs product has worked his way into the ace role and tossed the first nine-inning complete game for a GC starter this season. He had six strikeouts and one walk while hitting Brandon Harigel with a pitch in the second inning.
The Commodores manufactured a 2-0 lead after three innings with a Hall sacrifice fly and a Tyler Dial ground out plating Husum twice. They broke the game open in the fifth with three hits and RBIs from Hall, Matt Miller and Dakota Spikes against starting and losing pitcher Luke Papanicolaou (3-3).
The Australian right-hander had five strikeouts and three walks while giving up all of GC�s eight hits through six innings. Jake Molkentin tossed two 1-2-3 innings in relief.
Husum and Hall each had two hits for GC, which won its seventh game in a row. Leach threw just 103 pitches in improving to 7-1.
The second contest in a three-game series takes place at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Niceville. Kandler said the mood is good on GC�s side, as expected. NWF State seeks a turnaround and quickly.