The Florida Tech Panthers got a Sunshine State Conference series win on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with the Lynn Fighting Knights in Boca Raton. The home team won game one before the Panthers ran up a big number in game two, 16-5.
The Panthers managed only four hits in game one, while the defense committed three errors. Lynn got to Panther pitching for 17 hits.
Jacob Buser had two of the Panthers three RBIs in game one, including a solo home run in the top of the first against Lynn starter Rigo Beltran, giving Florida Tech an early 1-0 lead.
Florida Tech starter Rhett Willis (0-2) got a bad break in the bottom of the inning after giving up a leadoff triple to Tom Archer to start the inning and an error allowed him to score. A two-run double by Alejandro Martinez later in the inning made it 3-1.
Lynn added a run in the second inning on an Archer sacrifice fly and got three more in the third inning, thanks to two long balls. Shayne Fontana led off the inning with the first one and Cal Bocchino hit a two-run shot to make it 7-1. The Bocchino homer spelled the end of the day for Willis, who gave way to Colin Cristello.
Willis gave up nine hits in 2.1 innings and five of the seven runs he allowed were earned. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.
An error, a wild pitch and an RBI single from Willie Seay in the fourth inning made it 8-1. Florida Tech got two runs back in the top of the fifth, when Buser and Daniel Szpik both earned bases-loaded walks, closing the gap to 8-3.
Cristello pitched 2.1 innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits and striking out two. Lynn’s final two runs came in the sixth against Ryan Allain, only one was earned. Fontana had a sac fly in the sixth and Bocchino made it 10-3 with an RBI single.
Jake Lane pitched the final two innings, giving up three hits. He walked one and struck out one.
For more info: Florida Tech @ Lynn Box Score (Game 1)
Game two went much better for Florida Tech offensively. They pounded out 16 hits with Jakob Newton going 4-for-6 with two RBI’s and Ryan Sinzenich going 3-for-5 with an RBI and four runs scored. Buser, Szpik, and Raul Quintero all had two hits apiece.
Lynn picked up right where they left off in game one, putting up two runs in the bottom of the second on a two-run double off the bat of Anthony Sanabria against Panthers starter Jordan Murray. They added to that lead in the bottom of the third on a two-run blast from Martinez.
Murray was done after 2.1 innings. He gave up four runs (three earned) on four hits, striking out one. Andrew Beyer (3-3) went the final 6.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits and striking out six.
Florida Tech (14-21, 6-9 SSC) got their offense going in the top of the fourth. Sinzenich led off with a home run off of Lynn starter Philip Quinn. An RBI single by Newton made it 5-2.
Buser’s second home run of the day came in the top of the fifth and cut the deficit to one, 5-4. They would tie the game one inning later when Zac Orchard struck out but reached first when the third strike got away, allowing Quintero to score. He walked earlier in the inning.
Kevin Capella drove in Sinzenich in the seventh with a double to left-center and Quintero chased Capella home with a single, making it a 7-5 game.
The Panthers erupted for five runs in the eighth, with a two-run single by Szpik and an RBI sacrifice fly by Capella. Szpik would score on an error and Newton’s RBI single capped the scoring. When all was said and done in that eighth inning, the Panthers led 12-5.
An error and a wild pitch led to two more runs in the ninth and Capella’s RBI single made it 15-5. Quintero’s double drove in Szpik with the Panthers final run of the series.
For more info: Florida Tech @ Lynn Box Score (Game 2)
The Panthers road trip continues Friday when they travel to Lakeland, to take on 12th-ranked Florida Southern in a three-game weekend series. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.