TAMPA, Fla. (Softball) - A two run deficit marks first conference loss for Florida Tech in series opener against Tampa on Friday Feb. 24 at Vince Naimoli Softball Complex. 

On the mound, Rachel Pence (7-4) dominated the Spartans bats despite the one earned run that came in at the bottom of the second inning. Pence concluded the night with only four hits allowed, one strikeout and one walk.

Defensively, the Crimson and Grey collected 18 put outs, of which four were groundouts and 12 fly-outs. Florida Tech recorded a game fielding percentage of .917 and completed a double play at the bottom of the fifth.

The Panthers got on base at the top of the fourth with a walk allotted to Makayla Palmer followed by catcher, Vanessa Rubio. Rachel Kraak then flared a single to the left field, but the Panthers were unable to tie the game up due to the defensive choice to throw Palmer out at home.

Although the impressive pitching and defensive efforts by the Panthers, Tampa found themselves on the scoreboard twice while Florida Tech could not scratch across a run and eventually fell 0-2.

The Panthers seek redemption tomorrow afternoon for a double header starting at 2 p.m. ET. For live coverage of the game, please visit http://tampaspartans.com/information/fans-multimedia/livestats and check out FloridaTechSports.com for any additional news or updates about the team.