PENSACOLA, Fla. - No. 4 Florida Tech softball season has come to a close as the team loss game two of the South Super Regional, 7-1, to West Florida.
Despite an earlier than hoped for departure, the Panthers put together a season for the record books. Over the course of the Spring, the women tallied 42 wins which ties the program high and rose to a team record No. 4 in the nation.
The Crimson and Gray won its first Sunshine State Conference championship. Along with the SSC championship the team hosted the regional tournament for the first time in only their second-ever postseason berth.
The Panthers also claimed two regular season crowns as they were the NFCA DII Leadoff Classic champions and the DII Florida Tech Invitational at Central Florida Spring Training. In those two tournaments, the team cruised to a combined 10-0 record.
Tech also rattled off two double digit win streaks. The first was 14 games strong in the early part of the season. The second came later in the season and helped clinch the team's conference title and South Region 2 crown. Once the dust settled on this one it's totaled 12 straight victories.
When asked about the team head coach, Val Silvestrini, said "this has been a very special season with a very special team."
Coach Silvestrini went onto thank the senior class on their leadership and setting the tone not only for this year but what she believes to be the Panthers trajectory going forward.
Melanie Murphy (25-7) took the circle for the final time in a Tech uniform. She put together a respectable performance as she allowed seven runs, three earned, on nine hits.
"They [West Florida] are a really good team and hits the ball well to keep the pressure going," remarked Murphy. She also went on to wish UWF well on their pursuit of a national title.
The game started off with an early Tech lead when Jaden Kline sent a ball through the left side that gave Cheyenne Nelson enough time to cross home plate. After this run in the bottom of the first inning, no one came across the bag until the sixth.
Unfortunately, an Argo's outburst in the sixth and seventh gave them a 7-1 lead. This proved to be enough as they shut down the Panthers in their final chances at-bat.
Florida Tech will take a well deserved break for the summer and will be back at it in the fall for the Spring 2020 season.
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