Sharks Escape with Game One Win Over Panthers

Dan Szpik - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography

The Florida Tech Panthers fell just short in the series opener at Nova Southeastern on Sunday, as the Sharks hung on for a 7-6 win in game one of a doubleheader.

The Panthers (27-18, 11-8 SSC) were victimized by tough luck throughout the game, loading the bases a couple times and not getting the big hit and having a triple play turned by their defense, only to have the call reversed in what turned out to be the deciding play of the game.

Panthers starter Ty Cohen (6-5) ran into trouble in the first inning, giving up one run on a Jeremy Vasquez RBI single. Cohen did limit the damage, despite the traffic the Sharks generated. He came back in the bottom of the second and got the Sharks in order, striking out Ryan Alvarez on three pitches and needing a total of six pitches to get out of the inning.

Sharks starter Matt Hardy ran into trouble of his own in the third, giving up back-to-back singles to Ryan Sinzenich and Vincenzo Catanza. He walked Reid Neal on four pitches later in the inning, but got John Sternagel to fly out, ending the threat.

Nova would add three runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a Brandon Gomez two-run double, giving the Sharks a 4-0 lead.

Dan Szpik got the Panthers on the board in the fourth inning with a leadoff home run and they loaded the bases again, later in the inning, getting one more run in on a Trent Masih sacrifice bunt, cutting the lead in half, before Hardy worked out of it without further damage.

Florida Tech continued their comeback efforts in the top of the fifth. Reid Neal and Sternagel singled to start the inning and Szpik followed with a double off the wall. Neal scored and had Sternagel right behind him, but catcher Michael Hernandez got the tag down on Sternagel, keeping it a 4-3 game.  

Nick Capra made up for the out at the plate, with his RBI single, tying the game at four.

Things got interesting in the fifth and unfortunately for the Panthers this was where the game was ultimately decided. The first two Sharks singled to start the inning and Jeremy Vasquez followed with a line drive to short, that looked to be picked off the ground. The runner at second was tagged and the throw to first, got the runner going back to the bag. It looked like a triple play and the Panthers went off the field. After consulting, the umpires decided that the ball was caught and the runner at second did not have to move, resulting in a double play.

That proved to be a huge call, because Anchia would take the first pitch he saw over the wall in left-center, giving the home team a 6-4 lead. Florida Tech would get one run back in the top of the sixth when McKown singled and later scored on a dropped fly ball hit by Neal.

Brett Porter took over on the mound in the seventh, after Cohen gave up 10 hits and six runs (four earned) over six innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter, throwing 81 pitches, 60 for strikes.

The Sharks (32-15, 15-7 SSC) added a run in the eighth on an RBI ground out, giving them a 7-5 lead. The Panthers did not go quietly, in the top of the ninth. Sternagel and Szpik hit consecutive singles against NSU closer Josh Glick. An RBI single by Capra made it 7-6 and the Panthers looked to be in good shape. David Wilson tried to lay down a sac bunt, but he bunted it to the third base side and Glick pounced off the mound, getting the out at third. He went on to retire the next two batters, leaving the tying run at second for the Panthers.

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

The Panthers out hit the Sharks 14-10 in the game, with Szpik and Capra both finishing the day with three hits and McKown and Sternagel finishing with two knocks.

A recap of game two of the doubleheader is linked here.

This blog is an extension of our website - Sportslowdown.com Follow us on Twitter @sports_lowdown