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Panthers Roll Past Molloy

Header pic: Cheyenne NelsonFlorida Tech Athletics

Florida Tech got a non-conference win Tuesday afternoon, beating the Molloy Lions 8-2 at Nancy Bottge Field. This was the first of two games on the day for the Panthers, who took on Kutztown in an evening contest.

The Panthers (21-10) had nine hits against Molloy, including one off the bat of Cheyenne Nelson, who extended her hitting streak to 15 games. She also scored two runs. Chloe French and Jolie Miracle had two hits each.

Alex Hendrian got the start in the circle for the Panthers against Amanda King. The Panthers got to King early, scoring four times in the bottom of the first.  

Nelson was hit by a pitch and stole second. She came home on a single by French. Miracle singled and Ella Chang Gibson walked, loading the bases for Tori Szrom who drove a ball into the gap past the diving center fielder. That cleared the bases, and Szrom ended up at third. That gave the Panthers a 4-0 lead.

Hendrian retired the first six and in the top of the third, the first batter batted out of order and had a double taken away. Molloy did get a hit, but Hendrian got out of the inning. 

The Panthers added two runs in the bottom of the third when Ashley Campbell hit a ball that was thrown away, allowing two runs to score and giving the Panthers a 6-0 lead.

Molloy (3-6) got two runs back in the top of the fourth. Courtney Greene doubled and came home on an Amanda King home run, making it 6-2. After an error, Hendrian was relieved by Allison Platon and she got out of the inning with a strikeout.

Hendrian (7-4) got through 3 ⅔ allowing two runs and striking out two. She threw 41 pitches, 28 for strikes.

Nelson started the bottom of the fourth with a single, extending her hitting streak to 15 games. She wasn’t there for long, as Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week Mikayla Lewin hit her sixth home run, a two-run shot, giving the Panthers an 8-2 lead. 

Florida Tech threatened again in the fifth when Campbell doubled off the wall in center field and went to third on a groundout. Wessel walked and tried to catch the Lions defense sleeping as she went full speed into second. She was called out to end the inning.

Platon pitched the final 3 ⅓ innings, walking one, striking out one, and allowing two hits. She threw 22 of her 38 pitches for strikes, earning her first save.

For more info: Molloy @ Florida Tech Box Score 

The Panthers played the Kutztown Golden Bears in the evening game. We will link that recap in this article as soon as it is done.