Story: Dustin Kent - JCFloridan.com

The Chipola Indians were already going to the state tournament in Lakeland, but after Friday night's 13-5 home win over Northwest Florida State, they'll go as outright Panhandle Conference champions.

Chipola clinched the top seed from the conference before Friday's game finished thanks to Gulf Coast State's 8-5 loss to Tallahassee in Panama City. 

But the Indians ended up not needing the help, exploding for six first-inning runs and cruising to the eight-inning win.

"We were glad to get ourselves in position to have it in our hands and I was proud of the way the guys came out to start," Johnson said. "We had a great first inning and did a lot of great things and really concentrated well. That's what you're supposed to get when you've got some returning sophomores. Those guys have been in some big games and they thrive in those situations."

Sophomores accounted for 10 of the team's 12 hits and drove in 11 of the 13 runs, with Chase Scott leading the way going 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI, and Josh Merrigan 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI.

Danny Mars and Cody Lanford each had a hit, two runs, and two RBI, and sophomore pitcher Taylor Lewis started on the mound and got the win for 5 1/3 innings in giving up three earned runs on five hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.

"Taylor Lewis was back throwing it like he's supposed to throw for five innings, but I thought he got a little tired in the sixth inning," Johnson said. "Fortunately some other guys came in and held it down for us."

Lewis ran into very little trouble until the sixth inning when the Raiders broke through for four runs and was relieved by Jo Jo Durden, who limited the damage to four runs before being replaced in the seventh by Palmer Betts, who worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth to keep the Indians up 9-5.

A two-run home run by Scott in the bottom of the eighth made it 11-5, with a pinch-hit two-RBI double by Kyle Moore ending the game via run-rule.

It was another impressive all-around effort for the Indians, who went 5-1 in their final six conference games to win the title.

"We're learning how to play a little bit," Johnson said. "Just to watch the team grow and mature and develop through the year has been fun. This group is starting to come together and I still don't think we've played our best baseball by any means. But we're starting to learn how play really well in some phases, so I hope we can continue to get better these next couple of weeks and carry it over to Lakeland."

Chipola will open play in the FCSAA tournament against Central Florida on May 9, and if the Indians are going to continue winning and make a run at the World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., it will likely be the second-year players leading the way once again.

"We've got a great group of sophomores. They're great kids and I couldn't be prouder for them and the team and the coaching staff," Johnson said. "That's what you do this for, to get a chance to win championships. Now we get a chance to go down there and see what we can do."