St. Petersburg College's Todd Redmond had a no-hitter through five innings Monday, but a seven-run sixth propelled Pensacola CC to a 9-2 victory in an elimination game of the Florida Junior College state tournament.
Pensacola can win the championship with a victory today over Central Florida CC at Kissimmee's Osceola County Stadium. A Central Florida win forces a second and deciding game.
SPC (33-16) appeared in its seventh straight state baseball tournament. But like last season, it finished third. Its best finish was second in 2000.
Neither Pensacola nor St. Petersburg could do much in the first five innings, but Redmond gave up a walk to start the sixth as well as five hits as PCC blew the game open. Redmond (9-4) was working on two days' rest after pitching in a win Friday against Tallahassee CC.
St. Petersburg scored its only runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, highlighted by a run-scoring single by Tucker Pearce. Pensacola outhit SPC 11-4.
The Titans were 2-2 in the tournament that included wins over Tallahassee and Suncoast Conference-rival Manatee CC.
