Melbourne, Fla. – Florida Tech were certainly up for the challenge in a doubleheader Saturday against a Sunshine State Conference powerhouse, but Florida Southern's bats to ignite rallies and their bullpen's ability to cut them short ultimately made the biggest difference of all as the Moccasins swept the Panthers, 8-6 and 6-3, at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field.
Game 1
Florida Southern took the lead almost immediately when a pitch hit Vaun Brown to lead off the game. After stealing second, Brown came around to score on a looping base hit to right by Grady Maguire.
The Panthers responded almost as quickly as Jakob Newton launched an opposite-field home run to left with one out in the bottom half of the first.
FSC retook the lead in the following frame, with the rally starting on a one-out walk to Cody Duke. He would then advance to second on a wild pitch and then to third on an error by Paul Castillo that allowed Santino Miozzi to reach. The bases become loaded on a hard-hit infield single by Dylan Costa that glanced off of Alec Eldridge. Brown then singled into the hole between third and short that Raul Quintero knocked down, allowing only Duke to score. The Moccasins would manage only that one run in the inning as Mitch Harding was able to strand the bases loaded from there.
The Mocs broke the game open in the top of the third, which started when Nick Wells reached on a Castillo fielding error with one out. That would prove costly as Conner Berry lined a triple down the right field line to bring home Wells. Duke then singled to short, which Quintero would also keep on the infield, but a run would score in the process. Costa then ripped a two-out triple off of the fence in right field to plate Duke. He would come home shortly after that on a wild pitch by Harding to Brown. Brown then kept the momentum rolling with a long home run to left.
The Crimson and Gray would get a run back in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a two-out rally. The rally began with a Rodnie Bernard line drive single up the middle that moved Sam Schner, who led off the frame with a walk, to third. Castillo then drove Schner home with a bloop single to center. However, the Panthers were unable to add any further in the inning as Parrish struck out.
Florida Southern would cancel out that run in the following inning when Brown launched his second home run of the game, this time off Boris Villa and over the scoreboard in left center.
The Panthers would scratch out another two-out run in the bottom of the seventh when Castillo's single to center brought home Quintero.
They very nearly pulled off the grandest of finales in the bottom of the ninth, which they entered trailing by five runs. Quintero started the charge with a leadoff double down the left field line against new Mocs pitcher Michael Pelaez. Newton followed with a single to left, and when Bernard then singled to right, the Panthers had made their first dent into the deficit. After Castillo struck out, Parrish singled through the right side to load the bases. Diego Garcia grounded into a fielder's choice that would erase Parrish at second base but would plate Newton to bring the Panthers within three. Alec Eldridge would draw a walk to load the bases once again, chasing Pelaez from the game in the process. Pablo Toranzo took over but almost immediately issued a wild pitch while facing Blaise Maris that allowed Bernard to sprint home. However, Toranzo recovered to strike out Maris looking on a close strike three to end the ballgame.
A big reason for Florida Tech's near comeback can be credited to Villa, who did yeoman's work in long relief. Over the game's final six innings, Villa surrendered just one run on two hits while striking out seven.
At the plate, the Panthers got multi-hit efforts from Bernard, Newton, and Castillo, who also drove in a pair of runs.
Game 2
Once again, the Moccasins would strike first and early. Brown would lead off the game with a single to center off Panthers' starter Justin Lorenz and then with one out, stole second during Berry's at-bat. Berry would respond in kind with a single to left to put Florida Southern in front. Lorenz escaped further trouble in the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Florida Tech was equal to the task in the bottom half of the inning starting with a two-out walk to Bernard starting the rally. As Dylan Owens stood at the plate, a wild pitch from Mocs' starter Nate Madej allowed Bernard to move to second base. Owens then singled to left center to bring in Bernard and square the proceedings at one apiece.
Once again, FSC would respond in swift fashion as Tilden Agee led off the top of the second with a solo home run to left in his first at-bat of the season to put the Mocs back up, 2-1.
Following a one hour, 34-minute rain delay in the bottom of the second, the Panthers' lineup immediately went back to work. As Eldridge stood in the box against FSC reliever Jeff Liquori on the restart, Diego Garcia, who legged out an infield single just before the delay, stole second. Following walks to Eldridge and Schner to load the bases, Raul Quintero lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Garcia to tie the game.
However, as seemed to be the case throughout the doubleheader, the Mocs had an instantaneous response. Andres Rodriguez took over for Lorenz following the lengthy delay and struck out the first two batters he faced before surrendering a two-out double to Zach Scott. Following a walk to Duke, Nick Wells lifted a ball to right center that kept carrying and carrying until it eventually cleared the fence for a three-run homer.
The Crimson and Gray showed fight in the bottom half of the third, beginning with a one-out walk to Owens. He would advance to second on a dropped strike three that automatically retired Paul Castillo and then came around to score on a single down the left field line by Garcia.
The back and forth continued in the top of the fourth when Brown singled to center off Danny Vassallo with one out. Brown then took second with Maguire at the plate. Maguire would lift a fly ball to deep center that allowed Brown to take third. Vassallo nearly escaped the inning unblemished, but a wild pitch with two strikes on Berry allowed Brown to score.
Lefties Logan Verrino and Thomas Spinelli combined to shutout the Panthers' lineup over the final three and two-thirds innings to secure the sweep.
Vassallo turned in another excellent outing from the bullpen as he allowed one run on one hit over three and one-third innings, striking out five while walking just one.
Offensively, Garcia recorded the Panthers' lone multi-hit outing in Game Two. Bernard extended his on-base streak to 11 consecutive games thanks to his first inning walk.
Up Next
The Panthers' (7-9, 6-8 SSC) next scheduled game remains to be determined at this time. Check floridatechsports.com for further updates.
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