Things are off to a good start for the Florida Tech baseball team. They won two out of three games last weekend against Lynn and after a 10-7 win last night at Nova Southeastern, the Panthers completed the three-game sweep on Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader 4-3, and 2-1.
The Panthers have won five in a row, after dropping the first game of the season to Lynn.
Raul Quintero was the only multiple-hit guy in the lineup, with two of his squad’s five hits. NSU helped the Panthers with wild pitches and five errors.
After hitting a three-run home run on Friday night, Adan Fernandez did it again in the first inning against Panthers starter Mitchell Harding, giving NSU a 2-0 lead.
Florida Tech got on the board in the bottom of the third. After Paul Castillo reached on an error, Brett Parrish chased him to third with a double. Two batters later, Blaise Maris doubled home two, tying the game 2-2.
The tie was broken in the bottom of the fourth. Jakob Newton worked a walk and stole second. He went to third on a wild pitch and came home on another wild pitch, making it 3-2.
Harding walked the leadoff man in the top of the fifth. After a wild pitch and a strikeout, Panthers coach Greg Berkemeier decided to take Harding out, opting to bring in Joey Hecht. Hecht ran into a bit of trouble but he got two strikeouts, stranding NSU runners at second and third.
Harding gave up four hits in 4.1 innings, giving up only the two-run home run. He walked three and struck out four, throwing 71 pitches.
Things stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh when Castillo walked to start the inning. After stealing second, he went to third on a wild pitch. He was later thrown out at the plate on a fielder’s choice that put Diego Garcia aboard. Garcia went to second on a wild pitch and went to third on a throwing error. He would eventually score on yet another wild pitch, putting the Panthers in front 4-2.
After Hecht gave up a one-out double in the top of the eighth, Blake Beyel came in from the bullpen. A wild pitch and a sac fly brought in the third Sharks run, but Beyel worked through that and got in and out of trouble in the ninth, nailing down the save.
For more info: Nova Southeastern @ Florida Tech Box Score (Game 1)
After just five hits in game one, the Panthers managed four hits in game two, which went seven innings. NSU had only three.
Justin Lorenz (2-0) took the mound for the home team in this one and allowed only one hit in five innings. He struck out five and walked one, as the pitching carried the day for Florida Tech.
Newton got the Panthers on the board in the bottom of the first. He singled and went to third on a Rodnie Bernard knock. Castillo’s sac fly made it 1-0.
Florida Tech tacked on a run in the second. Eldridge singled and went to second on a walk to Dylan Owens. Both guys moved up on a wild pitch and after another walk, to Sam Schner the pitch got away allowing Eldridge to score the Panthers’ second run.
Nova got their run in the top of the fourth on a fielder’s choice. Lorenz would get through the fifth, throwing 32 of his 52 pitches for strikes. Freshman Danny Vassallo pitched the sixth and the seventh, picking up his second save of the season.
For more info: Nova Southeastern @ Florida Tech Box Score (Game 2)
Florida Tech will travel to Winter Park on Wednesday to face Rollins. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.