Sports Lowdown

Trent Masih - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers opened their final baseball series of the season Friday, with a 5-3 win over the Eckerd Tritons in St. Petersburg. Trent Masih drove in two runs, with an RBI bunt single in the fifth and a solo home run leading off the ninth inning. Reid Neal led the Panthers with a 3-for-4 showing, scoring twice and driving in a run. Dan Szpik , and Ryan Sinzenich joined Masih with two hits.  The Tritons got the scoring started when Tom Buonopane home run in the bottom of the third, against Florida Tech starter Ty Cohen . Neal answered in the top of the fourth with a solo homer, leading off the frame, against Eckerd starter Dillon McCollough . Eckerd (19-29, 8-14 SSC) regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth. After the first two batters reached on singles, Justin Glover drilled a two-run double, giving the home team a 3-1 lead. Florida Tech (29-19, 13-9 SSC) tied things up again in...

Reid Neal - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Nova Southeastern Sharks showed why they are the defending NCAA Division II baseball champions on Sunday, completing a doubleheader sweep of the Florida Tech Panthers, winning game two, 11-6. Following a 7-6 win in game one , the Sharks found themselves down early in game two. only to fight back and take the lead late. Florida Tech followed their 14-hit barrage in game one, with 12 more in game two, but it wasn’t enough. Florida Tech (27-19, 11-9 SSC) got to NSU starter Jonny Ortiz in the top of the second inning. Nick Capra doubled and later scored on a single by Vincenzo Catanza . The lead was short-lived, as the Sharks jumped on Andy Marzheuser in the bottom of the frame. Michael Hernandez and Dylan Woods each hit two-run home runs, quickly giving the home team a 4-1 lead. To the Panthers credit, much like they did in game one, they would fight back in the top of the third.   Reid Neal , John Sternag...

Nick Capra - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers (26-16, 10-6 SSC) earned an important victory over Rollins Wednesday night, in the opening game of a three-game series. Andy Marzheuser pitched eight shutout innings, leading the Panthers to a 5-1 Sunshine State Conference victory. It was quite a pitcher’s duel between Marzheuser and Brad Case for six innings, but the Panthers offense, which was held to two hits for much of the night, finally broke through in the seventh inning.  Dan Szpik got things going with a one out double off the left field wall and Nick Capra plated him with an RBI single. David Wilson flew out, but it was deep enough to move Capra to third and that would be key, because he would score on a wild pitch, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Case would leave after seven strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out 10 and walked only one.  Whit Drennan replaced him on the mound and the Panthers of...

Grant McKown - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Florida Tech and Saint Leo both showcased their offense on Saturday, as the teams combined for 38 runs in a doubleheader. The Lions took game one 11-5 and the Panthers stormed back to take game two, 17-5. The Panthers hit six home runs in game two alone, three of those coming in the first inning. They hit two in game one, including a leadoff homer from Grant McKown . Saint Leo came back with three runs in the bottom of the second, before the Panthers got one back in the top of the third, on a Dan Szpik RBI single. Florida Tech starter Tyler Deel ran into trouble again in the bottom of the sixth, after getting the first two outs. Derek Gibree walked and went to second on a Lane Stancil single. An RBI single by Dylan Harris made it 4-1. That was the end of the day for Deel, who gave way to Justin Barney . A two-run double by Mata and an RBI single by Chase Turner, gave the home team a 7-2 lead. Rhett Willis took ove...

Photo credit: James Ragan Photography University of Central Florida transfer Sam Crocker picked up his first win of his Florida Tech career on Monday, pitching seven innings in a 4-1 victory over Winona State. Crocker (1-0) gave up five hits, struck out five and walked two over his seven frames. He lost his shutout in the sixth inning, giving up a solo home run to Jesus Cazares. The Panthers (12-5) got on the board in the bottom of the first. Reid Neal doubled off Winona starter Daniel Karlin-Kamin and went to third on a Grant McKown sac fly. He would later score on a passed ball, putting the Panthers up 1-0. Panthers second baseman Rodnie Bernard started the bottom of the third by drawing a walk. He got to walk the rest of the way around the bases, after John Sternagel hit his third home run in the last four games, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead. Sternagel wasn’t done, as he got the bottom of the fifth started with a double to left field. Neal laid down a s...

The Florida Tech baseball team started their three-game weekend off on the right foot Friday, taking down the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters, 7-2 in game one of the series. The Panthers (4-1) got good start out of Ty Cohen , who allowed four hits over six innings. The only run he allowed came in the first, when Mason Ewers knocked in Logan Augustine, who reached on an error earlier in the frame. That run held up through four innings, as Lincoln Memorial starter Ethan Elliott, who allowed one run through four innings.  The Panthers offense finally got going in the fifth. James Gronberg walked and stole second. He was moved to third on a great bunt by David Wilson . A sacrifice fly by Nick Capra tied the game and one out later, John Sternagel gave the Panthers the lead with an RBI double. The hit gave Sternagel a five-game hitting streak. After six innings, Cohen (1-0) had sent down 13 of the last 14 Railsplitters he faced. He was relieved by Colin Cristello ...