The Lincoln-Chiles baseball rivalry will go another day.
Facing elimination after an 8-3 loss in the opener of a Class 5A regional semifinal doubleheader, top-seeded Chiles leaned on ace Noah Chavez, who delivered a dominant performance in a 1-0 win Saturday to force a deciding Game 3 against crosstown rival Lincoln.
“I can’t be any more excited about getting another shot in the playoffs this year so the way the things ar ending, hopefully we get the win tomorrow and play another game,” Chavez said after the game.
Chavez worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out 11 while scattering hits and repeatedly escaping trouble as the Trojans put runners on base but could not break through.
Chavez has had a strong senior campaign before he pivots to Tallahassee State College after he graduates. He has a 0.81 ERA, allowing nine earned runs, which is among the lowest in Big Bend. He is 8-1 as a starter and has 90 strikeouts this season.
Chávez’s familiarity with Lincoln has its advantages and disadvantages from the previous meeting this season, but it doesn’t stop the senior ace from attacking them head-on with his strikes.
“Sometimes you’ve got to know when you can or cannot strike somebody out and what their weaknesses are,” Chavez said. “It’s hard to hit spots sometimes and going straight at them is my biggest thing.”
Chiles scored the game’s only run in the third inning. Preston Ritchie doubled on a ground ball, allowing JR Thompson to score.
Lincoln threatened multiple times but was turned away by Chavez and a sharp Timberwolves defense. Conor Borges recorded the final out in the seventh inning to secure the shutout.
After a struggling game one, Chavez felt that energy wasn’t quite there after the game got pushed back to Saturday. Now in a do-or-die mode, the message was quite clear, especially to the seniors, with the series even at one.
“The seniors got to know that they have maybe only one more game left, so if you don’t play as hard as you can, there’s no point in going at all,” Chavez said. “Just got to win it.”
Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. The winner will face the winner of the Niceville-Mosley game in the regional final.
Other regional scores across Big Bend
No. 3 St. John Paul 2 No. 7 Covenant 0
No. 1 Union County 2 Madison County 0
No. 3 Lafayette 2 No. 2 Aucilla Christian 1
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: Chiles’ Noah Chavez shuts out Lincoln to force game 3 of regional semis
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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