Panthers Trounce Nova in Series Finale


Reid Neal - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography


The Florida Tech Panthers achieved season highs in runs and hits Monday night, as they scored a 21-5 victory over Nova Southeastern in the series finale.

Every Florida Tech starter had a hit, with Ryan Sinzenich going 4-for-5 and Trent Masih going 4-for-6. Reid Neal and Nick Capra had three hits each and pinch-hitter Erik Molina hit his first home run of the season, a three-run dinger in the ninth inning, capping the scoring for the Panthers.

This was an 8-5 game in the fourth inning, but the Panthers ran and hid late, scoring 12 runs in the final three innings and securing their 12th Sunshine State Conference win of the season. Florida Tech starter Tyler Deel went five innings, picking up his fifth win of the season.

The Panthers scored four runs in the top of the first, highlighted by a 2-run home run of the bat of Dan Szpik. Neal’s RBI single and an RBI triple from John Sternagel, produced the first two runs. Nova Southeastern got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a Ryan Alvarez single. That run was unearned.

An error, a two-run double by Masih and a sac fly by Sternagel capped off a four-run fourth for the Panthers, as they extended their lead to 8-1. The Sharks answered with four of their own in the bottom of the inning. Two of those runs were unearned, due to Masih’s dropped pop up, allowing the home team to cut the Panthers lead to 8-5.

FIT would get one of those runs back in the fifth on a Sinzenich double to left, scoring Capra who singled earlier in the inning. Deel hit a batter in the bottom of the fifth, but he worked out of the inning, before giving way to Rhett Willis.  Only two of the five runs Deel allowed in his five innings, were earned. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out three. Of the 69 pitches he threw, 44 were strikes.

Florida Tech (28-19 12-9 SSC) would score two more in the seventh on Vincenzo Catanza’s two-run double, making it 9-5. They would put the game away in the eighth, scoring five runs. Neal doubled to start the inning and Sternagel followed with a single. After a pitching change, Sternagel stole second and Szpik reached on an error, allowing Neal to score the 12th run.

After Capra singled to load the bases, David Wilson fouled out. Sinzenich picked him up in a big way, when he drilled a bases clearing double down the left field line, giving the Panthers a 15-5 lead. Masih’s RBI single later in the frame gave the Panthers an 11-run advantage.

In the ninth inning, Neal greeted new Sharks pitcher Tommy Barberi with a long home run to right center. For Neal, that was his eighth big fly of the season. Sinzenich would get another RBI later in the inning with a single, making it 18-5. That would give him a team high five RBIs for the night.

With two runners on and the game well in hand, Erik Molina pinch hit for Catanza and on the first pitch he saw, Molina smoked it over the left field wall, giving the Panthers 21 runs. Drew Beyer came on to pitch the ninth for the Panthers and got a 1-2-3 inning.

For more info: Florida Tech @ Nova Southeastern Box Score

Florida Tech will finish their season this weekend, with a three-game series against Eckerd College. The series starts with a 6:00 p.m. game on Friday, followed by a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.



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