BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Tech baseball team (14-21, 6-9 SSC) earned a split in its doubleheader with Sunshine State Conference foe Lynn (20-17, 9-12 SSC) on Saturday. The Panthers started the day off slow as they dropped game one of the twin bill, 10-3. However, FIT found its rhythm in game two and defeated the Fighting Knights, 16-5, to earn the series win.
 
Jacob Buser led the Crimson and Gray at the plate as he tallied two home runs, giving him 10 on the year. Ryan Sinzenich also had a big day as he went 4-for-8 with four runs scored and one RBI.
 
Rhett Willis started the first game of the doubleheader. He went two and one third innings and allowed seven runs, five earned, on nine hits.
 
Three more pitchers took the mound during the first game. Jake Lane had a strong performance in relief as he tossed the final two frames and gave up no runs on three hits.
 
The Panthers started the game off with a bang as Jacob Buser belted his second homer of the weekend to give the team a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
 
Lynn struck back with eight runs over the first four innings and led 8-1 heading into the fifth frame.
 
Poor pitching in the top of the fifth by Lynn allowed Jakob Newton and Rodnie Bernard to cross the plate thanks to walks, cutting the Panthers' deficit to 8-3.
 
LU closed out the scoring in the bottom of the six as two more runners found home safely to finalize the game one score at 10-3.
 
Sophomore Jordan Murray was tasked with opening the final game of the weekend. Murray matched his teammate Willis as he also pitched just two and a third innings, while allowing four runs and four hits.
 
Murray was replaced on the mound by Drew Beyer. Beyer lasted the longest of any pitcher on the day going six and two-thirds innings during which he allowed one run on three hits.
 
Game two started out rough for the Crimson and Gray as they allowed five runs in the first three innings. However, FIT turned it around and went on a tear starting in the top of the fourth. Ryan Sinzenich sparked the run as he hit a dinger over the left center wall to put the Panthers on the board.
 
Newton made the score 5-2 later in the fourth when he singled to center field to give Daniel Szpik time to cross the bag.
 
Florida Tech tacked on two more runs in the fifth when Buser continued his deep ball assault with a two-run blast to left center.
 
A wild pitch by the Fighting Knights tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the sixth.
 
Florida Tech took its first lead of the game in the seventh inning when Kevin Capella doubled to left center to send Sinzenich across home plate. A Raul Quintero single later in the inning extended the lead to 7-5.
 
A huge top of the eighth helped the Panthers extend their lead to a comfortable margin. Szpik kicked off the rally as he singled up the middle to push Buser and Zac Orchard home. A sacrifice fly by Capella sent Sinzenich trotting across the bag. A fielding error by the Fighting Knights led to the third score of the inning.
 
A Newton double pushed the score to 11-5 as Raul Quintero crossed the plate.
 
FIT sealed the game in the ninth as the Panthers brought in four more runs during the inning. Szpik collected an RBI thanks to another Lynn error. Then, a wild pitch sent Orchard across the bag.
 
Capella earned another RBI on the day as he got Sinzenich across the plate. Quintero tacked on the final run of the game when he doubled down the third base line to make the score, 16-5.
 
Florida Tech will look to continue its offensive momentum when the squad takes on Florida Southern next weekend. The first game of the series against the No. 12 Moccasins is set for Friday, Apr. 13, at 6 p.m. in Lakeland, Florida. You can follow the action live at FloridaTechSports.com/live.