Sports Lowdown

Nick Capra - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers ended their 2017 regular season, splitting a doubleheader at Eckerd. After dropping the first game 11-8, in a slugfest, the Panthers used a three run fourth inning in game two, to secure a 4-2 victory. With the victory in game two, the Panthers finished the season 10 games over .500 and won four of their last five games. Game one featured five home runs and was a back-and-forth affair throughout, with Florida Tech starter Tyler Deel going just three innings and Eckerd starter Nick Alonzo, lasting just four. Neither figured in the final outcome. Florida Tech (30-20, 14-10 SSC) got a run in the top of the first. Grant McKown singled and moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt later in the inning. He came home on a single by Reid Neal . Deel started the bottom of the first by hitting leadoff man Tom Buonopane, but he picked him off moments later. It was one of two pickoffs Deel had in h...

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 Florida Tech Panthers achieved season highs in runs and hits Monday night, as they scored a 21-5 victory over Nova Southeastern in the series finale. Every Florida Tech starter had a hit, with Ryan Sinzenich going 4-for-5 and Trent Masih going 4-for-6. Reid Neal and Nick Capra had three hits each and pinch-hitter Erik Molina hit his first home run of the season, a three-run dinger in the ninth inning, capping the scoring for the Panthers. This was an 8-5 game in the fourth inning, but the Panthers ran and hid late, scoring 12 runs in the final three innings and securing their 12 th Sunshine State Conference win of the season. Florida Tech starter Tyler Deel went five innings, picking up his fifth win of the season. The Panthers scored four runs in the top of the first, highlighted by a 2-run home run of the bat of Dan Szpik . Neal’s RBI single and an RBI triple from John Sternagel , produced the first...