Florida Southern Sweeps Doubleheader from Panthers

Reid Neal - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography

The Florida Southern Moccasins put Florida Tech behind the eight ball in Sunshine State Conference play, sweeping the three-game weekend series, highlighted by a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field.

Following their 3-0 win on Friday in the series opener, the Mocs took game one on Saturday, 3-2 and won a high-scoring game two, 12-8.

Tyler Deel got the start for Florida Tech in game one and pitched well for six innings, despite giving up a leadoff home run to Cody Burgess to start the proceedings.

That run held until the bottom of the fourth, when Dan Szpik and Ryan Sinzenich started the frame with back-to-back singles against Florida Southern starter Jake Walsh, Nick Capra reached on fielder’s choice, loading the bases. James Gronberg then grounded out to first, getting the run home and tying the game.

Florida Tech got their first lead of the night in the bottom of the fifth. The inning started with a Reid Neal double and after a sacrifice grounder by Grant McKown got him to third, Szpik hit a sacrifice fly, making it 2-1. Neal ended the day 2-for-4. He was the only Florida Tech player with a multi-hit day.

Deel got through six innings with the lead, allowing only the one run on four hits. He walked three and struck out six, before giving way to Drew Beyer. Walsh went seven, allowing four hits and two runs. He walked one and struck out four.

Walsh (4-1) was still the pitcher of record in the top of the eighth, when Jason Sierra singled to start the inning and went to third on Omar Villaman’s double. Logan Browning’s RBI ground out tied the score and the Mocs went ahead on an Austin Mauer single.

The Panthers went down in order in the eighth against Craig Savage and Cameron Hanes overcame a Capra single and an error in the bottom of the ninth, to nail down his fifth save.

For more info: Florida Southern @ Florida Tech Box Score (Game 1)

Daniel Szpik - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography
In game two, the Panthers pounded out 15 hits but they were one-upped by Florida Southern, who had 16. It was a close game until a four-run top of the eighth, put the visitors on top to stay.

Florida Tech (13-8, 0-3 SSC) got on the board with a four-run bottom of the first against starter A.J. Smith.  John Sternagel singled to lead things off and after he stole second, he went to third on a McKown single and came home when McKown moved to second on the throw.

Szpik’s RBI single made it 2-0 and Sinzenich drove in the third run with a double. One out later, David Wilson’s double plated Sinzenich. Wilson would then move to third on a passed ball, but he was stranded.  

Andy Marzheuser got through three innings with that lead, but ran into trouble in the fourth. Sierra, Villaman and Browning hit consecutive singles, before Marzheuser struck out Mauer. A sac fly by Christian Maglich plated a run for the Mocs and a single by Evan Barnes cut the lead in half, 4-2.

After a single by Burgess made it 4-3, Marzheuser was given the hook, in favor of Colin Cristello. After he hit Pablo Cabrera, Mitch Reeves gave the Mocs a 5-4 lead with his two-run single. Cristello got the final out of the inning, but was replaced to start the fifth, by Grant Willcoxon.

Florida Tech got a few runs back in the fifth, thanks to a two-run single by McKown and a sac fly by Szpik, giving the Panthers a 7-5 lead. You had a feeling the way this game was going, that this lead wouldn’t be safe and that was true, as Florida Southern scored three more in the top of the sixth.

Barnes scored on a passed ball and Reeves tied the game at seven on a sac fly. Browning gave his team the lead again, with an RBI single. Florida Southern tacked on in the top of the eighth, when Barnes two run single made it 10-7 and a two-run double by Burgess upped the lead to 12-7.

Szpik’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth scored Sternagel, who was hit by a pitch to start the inning. That was as close as the Panthers would get.

For more info: Florida Southern @ Florida Tech Box Score (Game 2)

Szpik led the Panthers game two hit parade, going 3-for-4, with three RBIs. Sternagel, Neal, McKown, Sinzenich and Wilson all had two hits. McKown, like Szpik drove in three.

The Panthers continue their conference run with a visit to Palm Beach Atlantic next weekend. The series starts on Friday with a 6:00 p.m. game and wraps up Saturday, with a doubleheader, starting at noon.


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