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...

Dan Szpik - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers fell just short in the series opener at Nova Southeastern on Sunday, as the Sharks hung on for a 7-6 win in game one of a doubleheader. The Panthers (27-18, 11-8 SSC) were victimized by tough luck throughout the game, loading the bases a couple times and not getting the big hit and having a triple play turned by their defense, only to have the call reversed in what turned out to be the deciding play of the game. Panthers starter Ty Cohen (6-5) ran into trouble in the first inning, giving up one run on a Jeremy Vasquez RBI single. Cohen did limit the damage, despite the traffic the Sharks generated. He came back in the bottom of the second and got the Sharks in order, striking out Ryan Alvarez on three pitches and needing a total of six pitches to get out of the inning. Sharks starter Matt Hardy ran into trouble of his own in the third, giving up back-to-back singles to Ryan Sinzenich a...

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...

Reid Neal - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Reid Neal broke a 4-4 seventh inning tie with a two-run home run Friday night, sending the Florida Tech Panthers to a 7-4 win over Sunshine State Conference foe, Saint Leo. It was the seventh long ball of the season for Neal. Florida Tech (24-15, 8-5 SSC) took an early lead with three runs in the top of the second, against Lions’ starter Tyler Bauman. Dan Szpik singled and after Nick Capra walked, David Wilson singled Szpik home, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and Bauman proceeded to walk Ryan Sinzenich and Vincenzo Catanza , giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Trent Masih hit into a double play, allowing the third run to score. The Panthers added a run in the third, when John Sternagel walked stole second and later got caught between third and home, before scoring on an errant throw. That made it 4-0. T y Cohen , who got the start for the Panthers stayed out o...

David Wilson - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Florida Tech got eight strong innings from starting pitcher Ty Cohen on Thursday, leading the Panthers to an 8-3 win over the visiting Embry-Riddle Eagles in game one of a three-game series. The Panthers (22-14) jumped out to a 1-0 lead against Aidan Brady, in the bottom of the second. Ryan Sinzenich reached on an error to start the inning. Trent Masih singled to right and the throw in was errant, allowing Sinzenich to score. Embry-Riddle did most of their damage against Cohen in the top of the third. Kyle Guttveg had an RBI single and stole second. After a passed ball moved him to third, he scored on a Christopher Medina fielder’s choice. That put the Eagles up, 2-1. In the bottom of the third, Tim Retamoza took over for Brady. He promptly hit John Sternagel , who stole second base moments later. One out later, Nick Capra moved him to third with a ground out. After David Wilson walked, Retamoza threw a p...

Ty Cohen - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The top of the Panthers order combined to go 9-for-15 on Friday night, leading the Florida Tech baseball team to a 10-2 conference victory over the Barry Buccaneers in the series opener. Reid Neal capped the game with a grand slam in the top of the ninth. The Panthers (19-13, 5-5 SSC) pounded out 16 hits and got a good performance from starting pitcher Ty Cohen , who went six innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs. He threw 104 pitches, striking out four and walking one. Florida Tech got on the board first in the top of the second, against Barry starter Jonathan Hernandez. Nick Capra led off with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. He came home one out later on a Ryan Sinzenich sacrifice fly. Barry (16-20, 3-7 SSC) matched that run in the bottom of the inning, on an RBI double by Alexis Monge. The tie didn’t last long, as the Panthers took the lead for good in the top of the third. Neal walked, ...