Errors cost Crestview in loss to Niceville (PHOTO GALLERY)

CRESTVIEW – Niceville starting pitcher Colt Tarpley shook off a slow start to allow just three Crestview hits in four innings of work as the Eagles beat the Bulldogs 7-1 in District 2-5A baseball action Friday night.

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Tarpley went to a full count with five of the first six Bulldog batters he faced.

Before working his way out of the jam, Tarpley gave up a single to Bulldog leadoff batter Dakota Dean and walked Nick Brown, Trevor Carnahan and Tyler Davis.

The walk to Davis scored Dean to tie the game at 1-1.

Niceville scored in the top of the first when Michael Coelho singled and took second on an error, moved to third on an infield out and came home as Michael Wells grounded out to first.

As shaky as Tarpley’s control was to start the game, it was equally sharp once he found his groove.

Tarpley caught Trinstan Linville looking to end the Bulldog first and went on to get strikeouts on six of the next Bulldog outs.

Eagle coach Brad Phillips said there wasn’t any great secret to Tarpley suddenly finding his control.

“He saw relief coming in the bullpen,” Phillips said. “That was it.

“We sent a guy down to get ready and he didn’t want to come out of the game. Once he saw somebody was getting ready to come in for him, he turned it around. It wasn’t anything mechanical, he just finally decided he wanted to pitch.”

As Tarpley took control of things, the Eagles (5-0, 2-0) found ways to score runs thanks in large part to Bulldog (4-2, 1-1) mistakes.

Niceville struck for three runs without getting a hit in the third as Crestview committed two errors and Bulldog pitcher Gabe Gunter walked three.

On the night, the Bulldogs had just four hits and they made six errors, which contributed to the Eagle win.

Niceville extended the lead to 6-1, scoring twice in the fourth.

Parker Willingham led off the inning with a long triple to the right-center field gap and scored as Cutter Tarpley reached on an error on a fielder’s choice.

Cutter Tarpley scored on a Kyle Kennedy base hit.

Bryce Kennedy came on for Gunter following the Kennedy single and got Wells to line into a double play.

Kennedy also worked the fifth inning for the Bulldogs without allowing a run.

Niceville’s last score came in the seventh of Hunter Lemley. Lemley hit Chase Darhower, the second Eagle batter of the inning, with a pitch. Darhower came around to score as Coelho reached on the final Bulldog miscue of the night.

Chris Krenet closed out the game on the mound for the Eagles entering in the sixth for Mikel Belcher, who had replaced Colt Tarpley.

“Any time you have more errors than hit you aren’t going to have a hard time winning,” Bulldog coach Tim Gillis said. “We got outplayed in every facet of the game tonight."