MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Tech softball (21-6) earned its third sweep of the season as the team downed Southwest Minnesota State (4-4). The Panthers won game one, 15-1, in five innings and game two, 6-3.
Melanie Murphy (9-5) garnered the start in game one. The senior lasted three innings and gave up no runs and only two hits before being replaced by
Jordan Lawlis who closed out the contest. Lawlis put together a strong performance as she surrendered one run, none earned, and one hit in the final two innings.
The Panthers came out on fire as the team put up six runs in the first inning. A Mustangs' error allowed Tech to score its first run as
Cheyenne Nelson crossed home plate.
Vanessa Rubio ushered the next run across the bag as she laid down a perfect bunt that scored
Xiarysse Emerenciana. A ground out by
Ally Carver got
Tina Velazquez Rolon home and made the score 3-0.
Shanysse Emerenciana helped push Rubio over the bag off a fielder's choice later in the first. While the final two runs of the first came off the bat of
Mikayla Wessel as she sent a single through the right side that pushed both
Jaden Kline and Shanysse home.
The Crimson and Gray extended its lead to 8-0 in the second inning thanks to a Kline single down the left-field line which scored Velazquez Rolon followed by
Katrina Hand who was aided home by an error.
The bottom of the third had the biggest outburst of runs for the Panthers as the team put up seven. Xiarysse got the party started with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly that sent her sister over the bag. Velazquez Rolon helped guide Wessel to the promise land with a slow grounder to first base. In the next at-bat, Hand sent a shot through the right side that allowed Nelson to score her second run of the contest.
Nelson was not on the bases long as a Kline double sent here safely across home plate to make the tally, 12-0. After nabbing her run earlier in the inning,
Shanysse Emerenciana recorded an RBI as she got Kline home off a single to the pitcher.
Wessel grabbed her third and fourth RBI of the game and ushered in the final two runs for Florida Tech off a single that pushed
Alexus Smith and
Victoria Szrom over home plate.
SMSU narrowly avoided the shutout as they scored their sole run of game one in the top half of the fifth which made the final score, 15-1.
Game two starting pitcher for Tech was Velazquez Rolon (8-1). She was tasked with three innings of work during which she gave up three runs on four hits and struck out six of the 15 batters faced. Murphy (S, 3) was called in to close out the game and she was excellent. The Melbourne native surrendered no runs and only one hit in the final four innings of play.
Florida Tech carried its momentum from game one over into the final game of the doubleheader as the team was on the board early thanks to a Rubio sac fly that scored Xiarysse. A Mustang's throwing error gave the Panthers its second run of the first inning as Velazquez Rolon trotted over home plate.
The Crimson and Gray extended its lead in its second turn at the plate as another Southwest Minnesota State throwing error scored Smith. Xiarysse and
Shanysse Emerenciana then teamed up again to push the team's advantage to 4-0.
However, an SMSU offensive outburst in the top of the third, made the ballgame interesting as the Mustangs managed to have three of its player cross the bag to make it a one-run game. But those three would be the only runs they would score.
Florida Tech went on to tack on two more runs as Nelson scored in the fourth inning and Xiarysse stole home during a successful double steal in the sixth.
Florida Tech will take a few days to rest, recuperate, and refocus on conference play before Friday, March 15, when they take on Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, Florida. First pitch for this Sunshine State Conference series is set for 4 p.m. ET and will take place in the ERAU Softball Stadium.
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech softball team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
