Winter Park, Fla. – Florida Tech took the lead early and then used timely defense to hold off a late charge from Rollins and earn their sixth consecutive victory, 6-5, in a non-conference matchup at Alfond Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Panthers got to business right away in the top of the first as Raul Quintero drew a leadoff walk. Two batters later, Rodnie Bernard launched a two-run homer to left-center to give Florida Tech a lead they would never relinquish. The big fly was the first of Bernard's collegiate career.
Florida Tech would add to their lead in the top of the fourth with a two-out rally that started with a two-out single to right by Diego Garcia. Alec Eldridge would follow with a triple to the right-center field gap for his first extra-base hit and RBI of the season to add to the lead.
The Panthers manufactured a run the following inning, which began Quintero worked a one-out walk.
He would then steal second before Jakob Newton drew a walk of his own. Both runners would advance on an errant pickoff attempt, and Quintero would then scamper home on a sacrifice fly to right by Bernard.
Eldridge had more two-out production to provide in the sixth when he walked and then stole second just before Blaise Maris drew a base on balls of his own. Sam Schner would drive home Eldridge with a single to center, and Maris would score one batter later due to a Tars fielding error.
At 6-0, it appeared the Panthers were heading comfortably towards victory, but the Tars' lineup, which had produced just one run through the game's first five innings, would come to life. Their comeback bid would begin in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out RBI single to right by Eddie Ayala.
They would move closer in the seventh thanks to a one-out solo homer by Nick Santucci, and then things got weird. After a walk and a single, Andrew Dunham would make way on the mound for Blake Beyel, who then surrendered a base hit to load the bases. Beyel would get Ayala to pop up to short, but Quintero let the ball drop on the infield fly rule. A run would score on the play, but the Panthers got out of the inning as Quintero threw out Luke Reidy, who tried to advance on the play, at third.
The wild sequence did not keep the Tars down as they plated two more in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out Santucci triple to right. Beyel made sure that the one-run lead stood up by striking out Jack Gonzalez to end the frame.
Alex Carpenter came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and, following a one-out Ryan Coleman single, appeared to have induced a game-ending double play, but the umpires ruled Eldridge to have pulled his foot off the first base bag. The potentially controversial call ended up being no more than a footnote as Carpenter got Joe Cosgrove to fly out to right.
Offensively, Newton had the Panthers' lone multi-hit effort of the game, while Bernard's 3 RBI were his first of the season. Quintero and Eldridge each recorded a stolen base.
Pitching-wise, it was a Johnny Wholestaff effort as seven pitchers took the mound, the best of which was Matt Dinenna. The redshirt junior tossed three shutout innings in which he struck out four and allowed only one hit and one walk.
Up Next
The Panthers (6-1, 4-1 SSC) begin a three-game SSC series against #2 ranked defending national champion Tampa on Friday at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
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