The Florida Tech Panthers welcomed the Ursuline Arrows to Nancy Bottge Field on Monday, for a doubleheader. Game one was everything you could want and more, with the Panthers pulling out a 4-3 win in 10 innings.
The win is big for the Panthers, but the pitching in this game deserves praise, as Arrows starter Sadie Jones threw five innings of no-hit ball and Amanda Kahn did not give up a hit in six innings of relief for the Panthers.
Xiarysse Emerenciana scored two of the three runs for the Panthers and her triple in the sixth broke up Jones’ no-hit bid. Mikayla Wessel had two RBI’s for the victorious Panthers.
The Arrows (2-11) threatened in the top of the first against Florida Tech starter Alaina Perry. With runners at second and third, Gina Rosshirt lined a shot to Alexus Smith at third and she alertly stepped on the bag, completing the inning-ending double play.
The Panthers (15-12) stranded two in the bottom of the inning when Ursuline starter Sadie Jones walked Wessel and Ally Carver reached on an error. FIT stranded two and the game remained scoreless.
The Arrows broke through in a big way in the fourth. Hannah Trent walked with one out and Jones’ infield single put two on. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Leah Leshnack chased them home with a three-run homer to left. Perry came back to get the next two outs, but the damage was done and the Arrows held a 3-0 lead.
Carver would walk to start the fourth and she would get to third before Smith grounded out to end the inning. The Panthers offense went five innings without a hit against Jones.
Kahn (3-2) replaced Perry in the Panthers circle to start the fifth inning and she would do a masterful job working out of some very stressful innings later in the game. Perry went four innings, giving up three runs on five hits, walking one and striking out one.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Panthers offense finally broke through. Emerenciana rocketed a triple to the wall in center. She now has four triples in the last five games. An RBI groundout by Wessel would get the Panthers on the board.
With Kahn retiring the first nine she faced, the Panthers came up in the bottom of the seventh, down 3-1. Victoria Szrom singled to start the inning. Katie Maiello was called on to pinch-run, while Jessica Callahan pinch hit. After Callahan singled, Lexi Bettermann grounded out, putting runners at second and third. Xiarysse Emerenciana would ground out, bringing Maiello home and Wessel’s RBI single would score Shanysse Emerenciana to tie the game, sending this one to extra frames.
The teams would start with a runner at second in each of the extra innings, but Kahn and Rosshirt, who relieved Jones to start the eighth would get out of trouble. The best chance the Panthers had was in the ninth when Victoria Szrom fouled out to left, just deep enough to get pinch-runner Melinda Rule to third. It was a gutsy call by coach Val Silvestrini, as the ball was not very deep, but she slid in safely. Bettermann walked an stole second, but the inning ended when Xiarysse Emerenciana popped out.
In the 10th, Kahn stranded a runner at third when she got Karlie Wilbur looking at strike three, to end the inning. Kahn would end the day with six no-hit innings in relief.
Xiarysse Emerenciana would start the bottom of the 10th at second and went to third on a passed ball. One out later, Carver would get her bat on the ball and the throw came home. Emerenciana would score when the home plate umpire called catcher’s interference, giving the Panthers a 4-3 win.
For more info: Ursuline @ Florida Tech Box score (Game 1)
Game 2 was covered in a separate article and is available below: