Sports Lowdown

Makayla Palmer - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Following their convincing win on Friday night in the series opener , the Florida Tech Panthers had the momentum going into Saturday’s season ending doubleheader. The Fighting Knights took control with four runs in the first inning of game one and they kept it, winning 9-2 and 2-0. Florida Tech was poised to jump in front in game one, when Hailey Leonard doubled to lead off the game. Katie Maiello followed with a single, but right fielder Madison White came up throwing and she cut down Leonard at the plate. Maiello went to second on the play, but she was stranded there. Florida Tech starting pitcher Amanda Kahn got through the first couple innings, but the third inning started with a fly ball off the bat of Shayle Arenson to Makayla Palmer in right field, Palmer dropped the ball and that put in motion a four-run frame, highlighted by a two-run single by Mackenzie Wyatt. The Panthers (26-25, 11-13 SSC) would...

Krista Patterson - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Krista Patterson hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning Friday and the Florida Tech Panthers never looked back, beating Lynn 8-3 in the opening game of the final series of the Panthers softball season. Florida Tech (26-23, 11-11 SSC) earned 12 hits in this one, with Hailey Leonard , Alexus Smith , Makayla Palmer , Patterson and Kaitlin Buchholz all collecting two hits each. Florida Tech pitcher Rachel Pence did give up 11 hits, but she minimized the damage, allowing just three runs. She struck out seven and did not walk a batter, in her 116 pitch, complete-game performance. The Panthers got on the board first in the top of the third inning, against Fighting Knights starter Francais Olexa. Leonard led off the inning with a grounder to third that was misplayed and turned into a two-base error. One out later, Smith singled and the Panthers were up, 1-0. Lynn (24-19, 10-9 SSC) were able to tie things ...

Rachel Pence - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography After a dominant 13-3 win in game one, The Florida Tech Panthers completed a doubleheader sweep of Eckerd on Friday, with a 5-1 victory in game two. Florida Tech ace Rachel Pence went the distance in her final home start for Florida Tech, striking out seven batters, allowing two hits and walking only one. It was an emotional day for Pence, who, along with six of her teammates, was honored as part of Senior Day, just before the second game got underway. “I was concerned with how our seniors were going to do right after the senior ceremony,” said Florida Tech coach Val Silvestrini. “They get emotional and we don’t have a lot of time to get ready for the game, but they did a great job.” The only run Pence allowed was unearned, in the first inning. Crystal Garcia hit an infield single to start the game and two batters later, Nikole Van Gennep hit one to Hailey Leonard at first. The hit off her glove and she reco...

Vanessa Rubio - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers used two big innings to make quick work of the Eckerd Tritons on Friday in game one of a Senior Day doubleheader. Makayla Palmer went 3-for-4 at the dish, Vanessa Rubio hit two homers and Krista Patterson added one of her own in a 13-3 win over Eckerd at Nancy Bottge Field on Friday afternoon. The Panthers jumped on Eckerd starter Grace Willeck for six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Palmer led off with a single and came home on Patterson’s two-run shot to center. Rubio went back-to-back, hitting her first of the day and giving the home team a 3-0 lead. Willeck continued to struggle, walking Kaitlin Buchholz , hitting Karina Suicava with a pitch and giving up a single to Hailey Leonard . Willick was able to get Sarah Hayes on strikes, before giving way to Madison Saltzman with one out in the inning. The pitching change didn’t do much good, as Alexus Smith drilled a double to th...

Makayla Palmer - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Florida Tech battled back from a couple early deficits on Thursday, but couldn’t push the tying run across, as Eckerd hung on for a 9-8 victory in game one of the Panthers final home series of the season. Florida Tech starter Rachel Pence got out of a little bit of trouble in the first and came back to strike out two batters in the second inning, before running into trouble in the third. An RBI single by Chelsea Armstrong made it 1-0 and two batters later, Carrie Shere took Pence deep, giving the visitors a 4-0 lead. The Panthers (23-23, 8-11 SSC) got back into the game in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs against Tritons starter Nikole Van Gennep. Makayla Palmer started the inning with a single and went to second on a single by Vanessa Rubio .  Julianna Goldberg ’s double plated Palmer, making it 4-1. A single by Karina Suicava brought Rubio in, cutting the lead to 4-2 and a steal of second by Suic...

Hailey Leonard - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers won the front end of a doubleheader with Florida Southern on Saturday, winning game one 3-2, but falling 10-2 in game two. The second game was called after five innings, thanks to the eight-run rule. Amanda Kahn got the start in game one for the Panthers, facing Hannah Loyer and the two battled through four scoreless innings, to start the game.  Kahn did give up two singles in the second inning, but Makayla Deuberry grounded one to Krista Patterson at short, who started the inning-ending double play. Kahn got out of more trouble in the third, after giving up a double and a single to start the inning, she got the next three batters in order. Hailey Leonard finally got the Panthers offense started in the fourth with a double, but a strikeout and a double play, left her stranded. Florida Tech would get another chance in the top of the fifth and they would cash in. Patterson dou...

Katie Maiello - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Makayla Palmer knocked in two runs and Katie Maiello had three of the five Florida Tech hits Friday night, leading their team to a 3-1 victory over Florida Southern in a Sunshine State Conference softball clash. Florida Tech (22-21, 7-9 SSC) struck first in the top of the third. Hailey Leonard was hit by a pitch for the third time in the last two days. Maiello singled and went to second on the throw that Leonard drew at third base. After Florida Southern starter Brandi Jones (2-10) hit Alexus Smith to load the bases, she walked Krista Patterson one out later, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead. The Mocs (13-20, 4-12 SSC) tied things up in the bottom of the inning, against Florida Tech starter Rachel Pence . After striking out the first two batters, Pence gave up a single to Desirae Klumpp. She would eventually score on a passed ball. Leonard would start the fifth the same way she started the third, taking one...

Makayla Palmer - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Saint Leo Lions (34-7, 15-3 SSC) finished off a mid-week series sweep of the Florida Tech Panthers on Thursday at Nancy Bottge Field, with an 11-0 victory in five innings. This follows Wednesday’s doubleheader victory , that saw the Lions win 11-3 and 7-0. Saint Leo starter Stephanie Adkins (19-3) held the Panthers to five hits in her five-inning complete-game. Florida Tech starter Rachel Pence (14-13) sent the first six Lions down in order, before running into trouble in the third. Michelle George singled to start the inning and Alyssa Wash followed with a bunt in front of the plate. She was safe at first and with no one covering third, George was safe there on a heads-up play. A stolen base by Wash gave the Lions runners at second and third. After Pence struck out Sommer Pollard, she walked Kacie Kelly intentionally. Bailey McKenna struck out and it looked like Pence may get out of the inning. Ciera Schum...

Karina Suicava - Photo credit: James Ragan The Florida Tech softball team has been playing well as of late, but they ran into a buzz saw on Wednesday, losing to the fifth-ranked Saint Leo Lions 11-3 in game one and 7-0 in game two. The first game was picked up in the top of the first, after lightning forced the game to be suspended on Tuesday. With the sweep, the Lions run their win streak to 10 in a row, while Florida Tech had won two in a row. In game one, Saint Leo got on the board in the top of the second, when Alyssa Wash had an RBI double against Florida Tech starter Rachel Pence . The Lions would break things open in the third, with a seven-run outburst. After Karina Suicava made a great diving catch to rob Rachel Heath of a hit to start the inning, Pence walked Ciera Schumaker and Samantha Ohmie. After Brittany Creamer singled to load the bases. A walk and a hit by pitch made it 3-0 and after Pence got Wash on strikes, an RBI fielder’s choice by Sommer Pol...

Karina Suicava - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech softball team got off to a good start on Saturday, beating Nova Southeastern 10-2 in game one of a doubleheader. The game was called in the fifth inning, due to the eight-run rule. They completed the sweep in game two, with a 4-1 win. Krista Patterson drilled a three-run home run in the fifth inning. The Sharks, who won Friday’s series opener 2-0, got off to a good start in this one. Dana Edmundson hit her second leadoff home run in as many days, against Panthers starter Rachel Pence . Florida Tech got that run back on a fielder’s choice by Makayla Palmer , allowing Alexus Smith to score. Smith singled to start the inning. Edmundson got to Pence again, leading off the third, with another solo home run. It was her second of the day and third of the series. Thankfully for the Panthers all her damage was done with nobody on base in front of her. That made it 2-1. That lead didn’t last long, as F...

Amanda Kahn - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers were back at it Saturday afternoon, wrapping up their three-game series with Rollins College. The Panthers, who came away with a 3-1 win on Friday, completed the series sweep with a 2-0 win in game one and a 6-5 victory in game two. The Panthers needed these wins badly, as they have struggled early in Sunshine State Conference play. They were 1-5 going into the weekend and suddenly, they are just one game below .500 in the conference. Amanda Kahn and Rachel Pence were the Panthers pitchers for the day, each picking up a win and a save on the day. Kahn (6-4) pitched well in game one, giving up two hits in her 4.2 innings of work. She walked two and struck out two, throwing 66 pitches, 44 for strikes. Her team gave her all the support she needed in the top of the first. Alexus Smith started things with a single, against Rollins starter Grace Street. She was out at second on a field...

Hailey Leonard went 2-for-3 in game 1 - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography It is odd to call a game that had a 4-3 final score a slugfest, but when the game features four home runs, including the game winner, it seems appropriate. That was the situation Florida Tech softball was in Saturday, as they came up on the short end, in game one of a doubleheader against Palm Beach Atlantic. “We battled,” said Panthers coach Val Silvestrini. “I thought both teams played well, but we just need to do the little things better.” PBA (16-11) struck first, against Panthers starter Rachel Pence . Kayla Knight started off the top of the second with a single and later scored on a two-bagger by Michaela Hynes. The top of the third would produce one more run for the Sailfish, but it probably should have been more Maddie Bertisch started the inning with what seemed to be an innocent pop to short. The ball went off the glove of Krista Patterson and Bertisch inexplicably rounded th...

Hailey Leonard - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Florida Tech came from behind Wednesday, beating nationally ranked Caldwell, 5-4 in eight innings. Alexus Smith capped off a 3-for-5 day with an RBI single, driving in Rachel Kraak , who started the inning at second base, as per the international tiebreaker rules. The eighth inning would have never happened if not for Hailey Leonard , who came up in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and hit a game-tying home run against Caldwell starter Sydney Ponto, tying the game, 4-4. The Cougars (4-7) broke through in the top of the fourth, against Panthers ace Rachel Pence . Marisa Monasseri and Carly Testa hit back-to-back singles. Hannah Polak knocked in pinch-runner Demitria Kitrinos, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Panthers (13-16) answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, but could have had more. Leonard tripled and one out later, Karina Suicava tried to lay down a squeeze bunt, but missed and Leona...

The Florida Tech softball team needed a win badly and they got it on Tuesday, beating the University of Alabama in Huntsville 2-1, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the process. After losing game one of the series Monday night, to the 16 th ranked Chargers, the Panthers earned the split on this night, though it didn’t come easily. Panthers starter Rachel Pence pitched a complete game, giving up one run on four hits. She struck out two and did not walk a batter, throwing 89 pitches. Chargers starter Emily Glover kept pace for the first four innings, as neither team could get a hit. Audrey Gangloff finally broke the seal, picking up the game's first with a leadoff single in the fifth. She was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Kaitlin Buchholz , but Glover retired the next two to keep the game scoreless. Florida Tech (11-12) finally got on the board in the sixth, starting with Krista Patterson reaching on an error. Vanessa Rubio got her to second on a groun...