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...

David Wilson - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography A game that started as a pitcher’s duel on Friday, turned into a lopsided 8-0 Florida Tech victory in the final game of a three-game series against visiting Rollins. The win gives Florida Tech the series win, as they took two of three games.  The Panthers sent 13 seniors off in grand style, pounding out 12 hits. Reid Neal (2-for-5), Dan Szpik (2-for-5) and Vincenzo Catanza (4-for-4), all had big days for the Panthers.  Rollins starter Brian Auerbach and Panthers hurler Tyler Deel were shutting the opposing offenses down for much of the first half of the game. Florida Tech did threaten in the bottom of the first when Neal and Szpik singled. Neal tried to score on the Szpik hit, but he was nabbed at the plate, a 9-3-2 put out. In the top of the fourth, Chris Corbett got the first hit off Deel, a one out double to left. David Wilson dropped the ball in left, allowing Corbett to go to third. Nick ...

Reid Neal went 3-for-5 in Thursday's loss - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Rollins College Tars found their groove in the middle innings on Thursday and went to beat Florida Tech 8-2, in game two of their Sunshine State Conference series at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field. Things got off to a good start for the Panthers as they got to Rollins starter AJ Chacon for two runs in the bottom of the second. It could have been more. David Wilson hit a long fly ball with one out in the inning, that was tracked by left fielder Mike Dolan, who leaped and made a great catch, taking a potential home run away. Chacon ran into more trouble immediately, walking Ryan Sinzenich and Vinny Catanza . Trent Masih then hit a ball to Isaiah Russell at shortstop. He was there to field it, but it went off his glove and the bases were loaded. Chacon then walked Grant McKown , scoring Sinzenich with the first run. Reid Neal grounded out, ending the inning and the Panthers left the...

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...