The Florida Tech Panthers (22-15, 11-8 SSC) won their third straight game on Thursday, taking the series opener at Saint Leo, 1-0. Andy Marzheuser, who left his last start early last Friday, showed he was just fine, throwing 7.2 shutout innings against the Lions.
Marzheuser struck out four Lions en route to his sixth win of the season. He improved his Sunshine State Conference-leading earned run average to 1.38.
McCabe Sargent (3-5) got the start for Saint Leo, and pitched very well, holding the Panthers to four hits over eight innings. This was a pitcher’s duel much of the night, with Saint Leo getting their first hit in the third inning, a single off the bat of Matt Morgan. James Gronberg would single to start the fourth, putting the Panthers in the hit column.
Brett Parrish would single in the fifth, and Rodnie Bernard would get the big hit for the Panthers, a double leading off the sixth. He would get to third on a wild pitch, and race home on a Gronberg groundout to first, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Marzheuser (6-2) got the first two outs in the eighth, before giving up back-to-back singles to Derek Gibree and Amir Wright. That was all for the Panthers ace, as coach Greg Berkemeier brought the hook for Marzheuser, calling on his closer Ryan Allain. Allain would get Jared Morello swinging, to end the threat.
Allain would find trouble of his own with a walk, a single, and an intentional walk to load the bases with one out. In a very odd happening, the lights would go out in the stadium, delaying the game for a bit, before Allain would bounce back to get Danny Torres looking, and record the final out when Morgan grounded back to the mound, leaving the bases juiced.
The save was the eighth for Allain this season, tying him with Matthew Van Fleet for fifth in Panthers history. The single-season record is 12 saves by James Mannara in 2013. Credit to Jerry Durney for that stat.
For more info: Florida Tech @ Saint Leo Box Score
The Panthers will be off Friday as storms are scheduled to move through, before wrapping this series up with a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1:00 p.m.