Ida Baker coach Chad Turner had every intention of removing starter Shaun Delozier in the sixth inning of Thursday night’s game against Barron Collier.

Turner, though, wasn’t about to include that plan in his conversation with the senior right-hander.

Delozier had pitched a masterpiece through five innings, but in the sixth, with the host Bulldogs ahead 3-0, the Cougars had two runners in scoring position, no outs, and Delozier fell behind Antonio Nickel 3-0.

“He just told me he had all the confidence in the world in me,” Delozier said, “and to just throw strikes.”

Delozier remained in the game and finished off the Cougars in a 3-0 shutout.

After falling behind Nickel, Delozier brought the heat. He battled back and struck out Nickel, then fanned Justin Leith and the final batter of the inning flew out to right.

It was plenty enough to bring the Baker fans to their feet for a standing ovation.

“I went out there with every thought in my mind if he didn’t get that guy (Nickel) he was coming out of the game, but I didn’t tell him that,” Turner said. “I just told him to relax, you’ve been doing it all night, get this guy and then who knows what happens.”

Delozier was making his third start for the Bulldogs.

In a 4-3 loss to Mariner last Friday, he carried a no-hitter into the fifth and the Bulldogs led 3-0, but the Tritons rallied with two runs in the sixth and seventh for the come-from-behind win.

It was another in a string of tough losses for the Bulldogs (7-7), who had lost seven of nine entering Thursday’s game.

They weren’t about to let this one get away.

“We’ve never beaten (Barron Collier) before,” Delozier said. “That was one of the goals this year.”

The Cougars (10-3) entered the contest on an eight-game winning streak, but fell behind the Bulldogs early.

In the first inning, Cody Coffman led off with a double, and Dustin Mishka had an RBI single, driving in Coffman. Jake York added an RBI single, putting the Bulldogs up 2-0.

In the second, the Bulldogs put another run on the board when Blake Fraser hustled from first to third on a ground out, forcing a wild throw by the Cougars.

With an early 3-0 lead, the Bulldogs needed to remain sharp to hold off the Cougars.

In the second, York, the Bulldogs’ catcher, threw out a runner trying to steal second to end the inning.

Delozier struck out nine with several of them coming with runners on base.

Mishka led offensively, finishing 3-for-3 at the plate.

“I couldn’t be any prouder of a group of guys,” Turner said. “All the struggles we’ve been going through lately and to have the wind knocked out of us in that Mariner game, I’m definitely proud of these guys.”

The Bulldogs return to action next Tuesday at Fort Myers.





Barron Collier 000 000 0 — 0 4 2

Ida Baker 210 000 x — 3 6 0

W — Shaun Delozier L — Jason Redshaw

2B — Cody Coffman (IB), Dustin Mishka (IB), Joe Costigan (BC)