WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Despite recording 13 hits against a Top-10 team, Florida Tech (21-17, 5-10 SSC) narrowly missed the SSC doubleheader against No. 10 Palm Beach Atlantic (22-2, 15-0 SSC) on Saturday afternoon at the Simpson Field.
In both events, Florida Tech kept the Sailfish on their heels, taking a 2-0 lead in Game 1, while holding them scoreless for four complete innings in Game 2. However, the ranked team prevailed in both outings, taking the first contest, 3-2, and the second in the final frame, 4-3.
In the circle,
Melanie Murphy (9-7) and
McKenzie Krutsinger (6-6) led the FIT defense. In Game 1, Krutsinger allotted 10 hits and three runs, while in the second match-up, Murphy struck out 5-of-26 batters, and allowed solely five hits in the seven innings pitched. With her performance, Murphy continues to secure first place atop the conference leaderboard with a 1.23 ERA over 114 innings pitched, and now ranks eight overall for strikeouts with 58.
Ending the weekend outing with a 4-for-6 performance, junior
Xiarysse Emerenciana led the team with two RBI and one double. Behind her, sophomore
Vanessa Rubio tallied her third home run of the season, going 3-for-6 at the plate for one RBI. Aiding to the Panthers total, freshman
Mikayla Wessel counted two hits on the day, while
Makayla Palmer,
Victoria Szrom,
Rachel Kraak and
Alexus Smith notched one hit apiece.
During Game 1, Florida Tech paced the Sailfish early, after breaking through the score in its very first at-bat, where Palmer singled to the shortstop to allow Emerenciana to cross home plate and put FIT ahead, 1-0. However, PBA quickly erased the gap in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one. After three scoreless innings, the Crimson and Gray lineup struck once again in the top of the fifth, where Wessel flared a single down the left field line to drive in
Shanysse Emerenciana, regaining the lead for the Panthers, 2-1.
The FIT lead did not last long though, as the Sailfish lineup wiped out the gap in the home offensive half to tie the score, 2-2. After another scoreless inning went by for both dugouts, PBA managed to place a runner at third and later sealed the 3-2 win with a sac-fly.
Forwarding to Game 2, the SSC rivals struggled to move their runners on base for three straight innings, entering the fourth tied, 0-0. In the bottom of the inning, PBA breached through the Panthers defense, grabbing three runs to move past Florida Tech, 3-0. The Melbourne squad quickly rallied back, and in the bottom of the fifth, Rubio blasted a solo bomb behind the center field fence to decrease the Sailfish stretch, 3-1.
With no outs on the board, Szrom singled to right center, Smith was allotted a free base, and S. Emerenciana flawlessly delivered a sac bunt to allow her fellow teammates to move through the bases. That sequence was then followed up with an X. Emerenciana double down the right-field line, which pushed across two runs for Florida Tech to tie the game, 3-3.
After a blank sixth inning, Kraak brought FIT on base in the top of the seventh with a single to left field. However, the sophomore was left hanging at third and the Panthers entered the bottom of the seventh still tied, 3-3. Unfortunately, PBA was able to move its runners around the bases and eventually routed Florida Tech, 4-3.
Next up, the Panthers will return home to Nancy Bottge Field to host the Rollins Tars for an SSC series. First pitch is set for Thursday, Mar. 29 at 3 p.m. ET.
For more info, please visit FloridaTechSports.com.
