Long Ball Carries Panthers to Sweep at Barry

Reid Neal - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography

Following their 10-2 win on Friday, highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Reid Neal, the Panthers continued their power surge on Saturday, with a sweep of a doubleheader. Florida Tech won game one, 9-4, helped by another Neal slam and they took game two, 5-3, with the decisive home run off the bat of Dan Szpik. David Wilson had home runs in both games.

In game one, Barry jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, when Julian Abreu took FIT starter Tyler Deel over the right field wall, on a 1-0 pitch.

In the top of the second, Florida Tech tied the game when Grant McKown took a 3-2 pitch from Barry starter Luis Deville, tying the game at one. That brought Neal to the plate and he wasted no time, drilling an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left-center, giving the Panthers a 5-1 lead.

Szpik made a great diving catch in the bottom of the third, but a Justin Lamazares double and an error made it a 5-2 game. The Panthers answered in the fourth, with Ryan Sinzenich hitting a double and taking third on a wild pitch. Trent Masih followed with an RBI ground out, giving the Panthers a 6-2 lead.

In the top of the fifth, David Wilson Deville deep, for his first of two home runs on the day. The ball cleared the scoreboard and gave the Panthers an 8-2 lead. Deel gave way to Grant Willcoxon to start the fifth inning. Deel gave up two runs on four hits, walking two and striking out two. He threw 61 pitches.

Willcoxon gave up two runs in the seventh on an Alexis Monge two-run single, cutting the Panthers lead in half, 8-4. Florida Tech’s final run came in the eighth, when McKown plated Vincenzo Catanza, with an RBI single.

McKown led the Panthers 12-hit attack in game one, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Neal went 2-for-5 with the grand slam and Szpik, Wilson and Sinzenich all had two knocks as well.

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

Willcoxon (2-2) pitched the final five innings of game one, earning the victory. He gave up two runs on five hits, walking one and striking out three. He had a pitch count of 71.

Game two was a pitcher’s duel for six innings, between Nate Greve of Barry and Panthers starter Andy Marzheuser.

David Wilson - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography

Capra reached on an error in the second, but the Panthers first hit didn’t come until the fourth, when Szpik doubled with two outs. The Panthers drew first blood in the run column in the seventh. Szpik drew a four pitch walk and Capra singled up the middle, bringing Wilson to the plate. He took Greve over the wall, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

Sinzenich singled to left-center, before Greve got Catanza to ground out. That was the end of the day for Greve, who gave the ball up to Lance Elder, who got the final out of the inning.

Greve gave up three of the four hits he allowed in that seventh frame. He struck out seven, walked two and allowed three earned runs in 6.2 innings. He threw 57 of his 94 pitches for strikes.

Barry (16-22, 3-9 SSC) didn’t go down without a fight. They answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Claudio Rubiera led off with a homer and Andrew Rapoza doubled and later scored on an error. Marzheuser came out of the game after that play, giving way to Luke Lorah. Monge’s RBI single tied the game at three.

Marzheuser gave up three runs on six hits, over his 6.2 innings. He threw 97 pitches (70 strikes), walking one and striking out eight. Unfortunately, he was rewarded with a no-decision as well.

Szpik would put the exclamation point on his 2-for-3 day with a two-run home run in the eighth. Sternagel who singled with one out, came home in front of him. Szpik not only drove in two, but scored two.

That would be enough for the Panthers, as Drew Beyer came on to pitch the final two innings and pick up his fifth save. Lorah, who got the final out of the seventh, picked up his second win.

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

The Panthers (21-13, 7-5 SSC) play a non-conference game at Flagler College on Tuesday, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m.


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