For the second straight week, Lincoln’s postseason hopes rested on Chase Fuller’s right arm, and once again the Florida State recruit delivered.
Fuller earned his fifth save of the season Friday night, closing out a 6-4 victory over Gulf Breeze as the fifth-seeded Trojans advanced to the Class 5A regional semifinals and climbed back to .500 at 14-14.
“It was a good team win,” Fuller said. “I’m just blessed to be able to play with these guys for another week.”
A familiar scene unfolded late as Fuller jogged in from shortstop to protect a slim lead under the brightest pressure. It is a role he has embraced since his freshman season, piling up 17 career saves in three years with the Trojans.
“Being a closer has been my role for the last three years at Lincoln, and I love it,” Fuller said. “I love the high-pressure moments and getting the save or win for my boys.”
Despite his reputation, Fuller’s workload on the mound this season was limited. He appeared in just eight innings — a career low — as Lincoln struggled to generate late-game leads for much of the year. Head coach Mike Gauger said circumstances kept Fuller out of key situations early, but steady postseason work has sharpened him at the right time.
“During the season, we didn’t have a ton of opportunities to get him in the game late with a lead,” Gauger said.
“So he was kind of rusty. But we’ve gotten him out there multiple games in a row, and he looks sharper than ever. When his pitches are working like that, he’s tough to hit.”
Fuller finished the season with 14 strikeouts, six hits allowed, six walks and three earned runs across eight innings.
Lincoln settles down. Picks up five runs in the third inning
Lincoln survived an early punch from the Dolphins, who scored twice in the opening inning for the second time in two meetings with the Trojans this season.
“They’re a good team,” Gauger said. “They can swing the bat, but we’ve done a good job settling down after the first inning.”
The Trojans responded in the second on Carson Koch’s RBI single, then broke through in the third with a decisive five-run rally.
After Fuller doubled and Jayson Parker drew a walk, Cody Garber tied the game with an RBI single. A fielding error allowed Parker to score the go-ahead run before Tyson Mortham and Tyson Bailey followed with consecutive singles to extend the lead.
“That was the difference,” Gauger said. “We just put balls in play and kept them low.”
Ethan Lafuria earned the win after four innings, striking out three. Bailey drove in two runs, while Fuller went 2 for 4 at the plate in a game that featured just eight total hits.
Gulf Breeze trimmed the deficit with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings but could not break through against Fuller down the stretch.
While known nationally as the No. 1 shortstop prospect in the country, Fuller remained steady defensively, carrying a .921 fielding percentage. Offensively, he continues to anchor Lincoln’s lineup, batting .356 to go with nine doubles and a team-high 24 runs scored.
“His defense just keeps improving,” Gauger said. “He’s fantastic at shortstop, and now he’s starting to really swing it.”
Lincoln will meet Chiles again in best of 3 series
Lincoln’s postseason path will not get any easier.
The Trojans will face crosstown rival Chiles in a best-of-three regional semifinal series next week after the Timberwolves defeated Ponte Vedra 5-3 on Friday. The series will be the third meeting between the two programs this season, with each team owning a win. Lincoln claimed the most recent matchup April 16.
“We’ve played Chiles plenty,” Gauger said. “We keep our routine the same. We play the game, not the uniform.”
Game 1 of the series is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Chiles — another high-pressure stage where Lincoln knows its closer will be ready.
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics and Big Bend Preps for the Tallahassee Democrat. If you like to pitch a story on a high school athlete, don’t hesitate to get in touch with him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Chase Fuller, FSU recruit, embraces high-pressure as Lincoln’s closer
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
