MELBOURNE, Fla. (Baseball) - Florida Tech fell to No. 3 Tampa in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field. In Game 2, Florida Tech was defeated by the Spartans 6-2, and then again in Game 3, 8-2.

In Game 2, both teams remained scoreless until the third inning. Florida Tech struck first, when Grant McKown hit an RBI single that brought Vincenzo Catanza home. John Sternagel then stepped into the box and hit a sac-fly to bring McKown home.

At the end of the third, the score was 2-0 in the Panthers favor. The Spartans responded immediately, as they scored three runs in the top of the fourth. Eventually, Tampa held Florida Tech scoreless for the remainder of the game, as UT collected three more runs to defeat the Panthers, 6-2.

Starting pitcher Tyler Deel took his third loss of the season during his outing; he pitched for 6.1 innings and struck out two, while holding the Spartans to just five earned runs on six hits. Rhett Willis came in for relief and held the Tampa lineup to just one run, as he struck out one in 1.2 innings pitched. Brett Porter closed the final inning, where he managed a quick 1-2-3 scoreless frame and grabbed one strike out.

In the final game of the series, the Spartans showed up quickly after scoring two runs in the first inning. The Panthers put up a fight, when Sternagel started with a double down the left field line and Daniel Szpik pushed his fellow teammate home on a RBI single to left field. The score was then 2-1 at the bottom of the first. 

The next three innings went scoreless for both teams, but the Spartans struck again in the fifth and sixth, bringing in four more runs. At the bottom of the sixth, UT was now ahead, 6-1. 

The Spartans snatched one more in the seventh, while Florida Tech responded in the bottom of the inning, as Nick Capra shot a triple down the right field line to allow David Wilson to reach home, closing the FIT margin, 7-2. UT managed to score one more run in the ninth, but eventually the Panthers could not fill the gap, dropping to the Spartans, 8-2. 

McKown went 3-for-4 in Game 2 with one RBI and Catanza went 1-for-2, picking up one run. The Panthers collectively managed two runs and six hits in the second game of the three game series. During Game 3 of the day, Sternagel went 2-for-4, Catanza went 1-for-2, while Wilson and Szpik collected one RBI apiece. 

Collectively, the Panthers managed four runs and 11 hits on the day, with two doubles and one triple. 

Taking his second loss of the season was pitcher Andrew Marzheuser.  He pitched 3.1 innings, struck out one, and allowed only two earned runs to the Spartans lineup.

Up next, the Panthers hit the road to Miami Shores, Fla. to take on the Barry Buccaneers. Game one of the three game series will be held on Friday, Apr. 7 and will start at 6 p.m. ET. For live coverage, log on to floridatechsports.com