Bucs Belts Four Home Runs; Knocks off No. 12 Gulf Coast State

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The No. 9 ranked Shelton State baseball team belted four home runs in its 11-1 win over No. 12 Gulf Coast State on a chilly, breezy day at Frazier Field.

Freshman first baseman James Graphos, sophomore third baseman Brady Waugh, sophomore left fielder Trenton Shirley and sophomore catcher Lawson Neel all homered for the Bucs.

The quartet combined for eight hits and 10 RBIs in the win over the Commodores. Shirley paced the Bucs with three hits on Thursday. Waugh had two hits and a career-high four RBIs in the win. Graphos had two hits, two walks and scored two runs. Neel added a three-run home run in the ninth inning.

Shelton State (8-1) has won five consecutive games.

Gulf Coast State (11-3) suffered its first home loss of the season.

Graphos started the home run spree with a two-run blast to right field in the first inning to put the Bucs in front 2-0.

Gulf Coast State got a run back in the second inning on an RBI single by Colton Wombles to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Commodores threatened in the third inning with three straight base runners with two outs. Shelton State starting pitcher Eli Driskell, making his first career start, stranded the bases loaded when he struck out Mitchell Dean to end the threat.

Both bullpens took over and the game remained 2-1 until the eighth inning when the Bucs broke the game open.

Graphos drew a lead off walk and freshman designated hitter Jackson Henderson singled to left field. After Graphos was picked off at second base, sophomore right fielder Mason Steele was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Waugh stepped to the plate and launched a three-run home run to right field to give the Bucs some cushion with a 5-1 lead. It was Waugh's first career home run.

The Bucs scored six runs in the ninth inning to blow the game open. Shirley hit a one-out solo home run to left field to push the lead to 6-1. It was his second home run of the season. Graphos and sophomore left fielder Hayes Alford both reached on singles and Waugh drove in his fourth run of the day with a base hit. Sophomore second baseman Brexton Taft followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 8-1. Neel capped the scoring with a three-run home run to center field to make it 11-1.

Driskell (1-0) allowed one run on three hits in three innings for his first career win. He also has six strikeouts.

Freshman Landon Shumate tossed three scoreless innings and sophomore John Beasley added 1 2/3 scoreless innings in his debut for the Bucs.

Sophomore John Michael Pickens retired all four batters he faced with three strikeouts to notch his first save of the season. He led the ACCC with 11 saves as a freshman in 2024.

Gulf Coast starter Cooper Whited (1-2) took the loss despite 13 strikeouts in six innings.

The series continues Friday at 1 p.m. in Panama City.