MELBOURNE, Fla. - Opening spring break play, Florida Tech (10-11) powered past the Stonehill Skyhawks (0-2) with two run-rule wins on Tuesday afternoon at Nancy Bottge Field. In both games, the Panthers scored often and early, forcing the games to end, 8-0.

In the circle, Amanda Khan (1-2) and Alaina Perry (3-0) earned one win each. In Game 1, Khan recorded her first seasonal shutout, as the senior out of Huntington Beach struck out four and allowed solely four hits in the six complete innings pitched. During the second game, Perry and Krutsinger joined forces to hold the Skyhawks scoreless, as the staff combined for only six hits and one strikeout over six innings pitched.

Sitting atop the offensive stat leaders for the Crimson and Gray, Xiarysse Emerenciana brought the heat to the plate with a 7-for-9 performance, to include one triple, one double and two RBI. Cumulatively, the midfielder out of Willemstad, Curacao recorded a .778 batting average and an impressive 1.111 slugging percentage. Behind Emerenciana's outstanding performance inside the box, teammate Ally Carver produced three hits in seven at-bats for two RBI, while Melinda Rule added two more runs to the FIT total. Over the past week, veteran Jessica Callahan continues to improve her numbers at the plate, after last week's home run against Tampa, the Kissimmee native hit two doubles in today's midweek outing. Additionally, Makayla Palmer went perfect during the doubleheader, going 3-for-3 with an RBI, while Shanysse Emerenciana recorded an RBI that came on her first double of the 2018 campaign.
 
In Game 1 of the doubleheader, FIT broke through the score in the bottom of the second, where Rule and Emerenciana teamed up to drive in three runs. Forwarding past two blank frames, the Crimson and Gray offense burst again in the fifth inning, when Bettermann and Carver batted in one runner apiece to enlarge the FIT stretch, 5-0. Continuing the fifth with another set of loaded bases, the Panthers play remained aggressive and allowed them to find home plate once more. The run came in on Skyhawks' passed ball that granted FIT a six-run lead.

Entering the sixth up 6-0, Xiarysse Emerenciana started the offensive half of the inning with a flared triple to the right center. The hit was soon was followed by Carver, who drove in the mercy-rule run with a single through the left side, wrapping up the win for FIT, 8-0.

In the second game, the Crimson and Gray lineup hosted a remarkable first inning that started after Emerenciana reached first base on a flawless bunt to third. Seven runs, seven hits, and four Skyhawk errors later, the Panthers managed to put themselves at distance early. From there, both teams went blank until the bottom of the sixth, when Xiarysse Emerenciana seized the game on a run-rule due to an error by Stonehill's center fielder, giving the Crimson and Gray the second 8-0 shutout.

Next up, Florida Tech will face the Tiffin University Dragons on Thursday, Mar. 8 for a mid-week doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. ET.

For more info, please visit FloridaTechSpirts.com!