Sports Lowdown

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 ...

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...

Florida Tech took their road show to Rome, GA on Wednesday, for a doubleheader against the Shorter Hawks. The 12-game road trip did not end well for the Panthers, who lost game one 6-5 and game two, 7-0. Things got off to a rough start for the Panthers in game one, as Shorter scored four unearned runs against starter Amanda Kahn (3-4) in the bottom of the first. The Hawks took advantage of two errors in the frame. Tiffany Holland singled to start the game and Maddie Hunt reached on an error. Ericka Bynum, who had a heck of a day at the plate, singled and Holland held at third, but scored on another error. Peyton Barthel’s RBI ground out made it 2-0 and an RBI single by Taylor Martin made it 3-0. The Hawks capped the inning with an RBI double off the bat of Hailey Baswell. That was the end of the day for Kahn, who was lifted after two-thirds of an inning. She allowed five hits, but no earned runs, facing just eight batters. McKenzie Krutsinger came on to record the ...

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...

The University of Alabama in Huntsville scored six runs in the first inning on Monday, propelling the home team to a 7-1 victory over Florida Tech. UAH is ranked 16 th nationally and they showed why, scoring four runs against Panthers starter Rachel Pence , who faced six batters and only retiring one. UAH starter Tyler Harrison was in control from the start, going the distance and allowing one run on five hits. She struck out nine and did not walk a batter, throwing 117 pitches. She handed the Panthers their eighth straight loss. Haley Thompson started the game with a single and that was followed by back-to-back home runs by Kaitlyn Bannister and Taylor Wascavage. After an error allowed Harrison to reach, the Panthers recorded an out on a fielder’s choice. It was a short reprieve, because Reagan Malone doubled in another run, giving the Chargers a 4-0 lead. That was the end of the day for Pence (7-7), who pitched 0.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hi...

The Florida Tech softball team sent 15 batters to the plate in the fourth inning Saturday, scoring 11 runs in the frame and beating Stonehill 14-3, in a game that went four and a half innings before being called. Amanda Kahn pitched four innings, to secure the win. The Panthers (9-3) pounded out 11 hits in the romp, led by Karina Suicava who went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Makayla Palmer drove in three runs as well. Suicava got things started in the bottom of the second with a bases loaded single off Skyhawks starter Jennifer Mayette. Rachel Kraak , Audrey Gangloff and Alexus Smith all had hits in the inning. A wild pitch scored Smith with the third run of the inning. Stonehill (0-3) got two runs back in the top of the third inning, both unearned against Kahn. Erin Brayden drove the runs in with a single. Taylor Whaley followed that with a single, but Kraak threw Brayden out at the plate, ending the inning. The Skyhawks did tie the game ...

The Marriott Brawl at the Beach tournament got off to a great start for Florida Tech softball team Friday, as they beat East Stroudsburg 9-1. The game was called in the bottom of the sixth, as the eight-run rule kicked in. Amanda Khan went the distance for the Panthers on the mound, allowing one run on five hits, walking one and striking out one. She got a rare at-bat in a pinch-hitting role in the sixth inning and drew a walk. Mary Wallick started in the circle for the Warriors and immediately ran into trouble not of her own doing. Florida Tech (8-3) got two runs in the bottom of the first on an absolute gift. Alexus Smith started the inning with a double, her first of three hits on the day. One out later Hailey Leonard hit one to short that was fielded cleanly, but the throw to second to keep Smith there, was thrown wide and into right field. The ball then got by the fielder, allowing not only Smith, but Leonard to score. With that, the Panthers were up 2-0. ...

Florida Tech finished the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic Sunday afternoon, taking down Georgia College, by the score of 6-5. The Panthers finished the tournament with a record of 4-1, with their only loss coming to Texas A&M-Commerce on Sunday morning. Florida Tech pounded out 13 hits, led by Hailey Leonard 's 3-for-4 day. Alexus Smith (home run), Vanessa Rubio and Karina Suicava all had multi-hit days. The Panthers carried a 6-4 lead into the seventh inning, but the Bobcats mounted a two-out rally, against Florida Tech starter Rachel Pence , scoring twice before Faith Flanders to flied out with the tying run at second, to end the game. Georgia College got to Pence in the top of the third. Amber Coy singled driving in two runs and Flanders had an RBI single, giving her team a 3-0 lead. Florida Tech (7-3) closed the gap in the bottom of the inning, getting to Georgia College starter Kayla Price, for two runs. Smith started the inning with a double. Afte...

The Florida Tech softball team extended their win streak to four Friday night, with a 5-2 win over the St. Mary’s Rattlers in the nightcap of the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic. Rachel Pence (4-1) who was pitching her fifth game of the season for the Panthers, went the distance, giving up one earned run on four hits, striking out nine and not allowing a walk. It was the fourth complete game of the season for Pence. St. Mary’s (6-2) got on the board in the bottom of the first with the help of an error and an RBI single by Brenda Iparraguirre. The Panthers answered in the bottom of the frame against St Mary’s starter Staci Johns. Makayla Palmer reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. She came home on a double by Julianna Goldberg . Goldberg would later be thrown out stealing third and Audrey Gangloff would strike out, ending the inning. After Johns struck out the first two batters of the fourth, the Panthers put together a four-run rally to pull away fro...

After being no-hit in a 12-0 loss Friday Morning against Angelo State in the opening game of the Florida Tech Marriott First Pitch Classic, the Panthers were upended in their afternoon tilt, losing 11-7 to the third -ranked Armstrong State Pirates. The Panthers only had three hits in the game, the biggest coming off the bat of Hailey Leonard , who hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth, breaking a 3-3 tie. The Pirates hit four homers in the game against Florida Tech ace, Rachel Pence , two of those coming off the bat of Autumn Parrish. This was certainly not the way Pence (0-1) envisioned her senior season starting. She gave up nine runs (eight earned) in five innings. Macy Coleman got to Pence early, taking her deep on the third pitch of the game, to give the visiting Pirates a 1-0 lead. Senior Tori Bates got the start in the circle for Armstrong and she struggled out of the gate as well, as the Panthers answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. ...