Melbourne, Fla. - Looking to get back on track after dropping their past two SSC series, Florida Tech fell behind early and found the deficit too much to overcome as they dropped a non-conference game to Florida Southern at home on Tuesday evening.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Southern 11, Florida Tech 5
Records: Florida Tech (21-18, 10-11 SSC) | Florida Southern (27-11, 12-6 SSC)
Location: Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field | Melbourne, Fla.

STATS OF GAME:
• The Moccasins would seize the lead for good just five batters into the game. D'Ante Starks drew a one-out walk, stole second with Drew Cavanaugh at the plate, and come into score two batters later on Connor Berry's single to center.

• A one-out walk would be the catalyst for the Mocs again the following frame, this time Sean Riley would be the beneficiary of the base on balls. A Gavin McGowan throwing error moved Riley and Jevin Relaford up a base, while a wild pitch from Panthers starter Andres Tapia would allow Riley to score.

• Another wild pitch on a strike three would bring in Relaford and allowed Grady Maguire to reach base. A dropped fly ball by Brett Parrish would prove costly as it would ultimately allow Maguire to score on a Bryce Safferwich single.

• A leadoff walk, a fielder's choice and a wild pitch put Mitch Donofrio in scoring position with two out in the top of the third and a Relaford single through the left side bring him in. Relaford would move up to second on the throw home, promptly stole third and Andres Suarez's throw got by, he would sprint home to make it 6-0.

• Starks found himself igniting the rally with a leadoff walk again in the top of the fourth, this time against Aiden Beechy. He took second on a Cavanaugh flyout and a Safferwich single would plate him.

• FSC removed all doubt in the top of the sixth, beginning with a one-out walk to Cavanaugh. After Berry singled one batter later, Jeff Liquori launched a three-home run to right field to put the Mocs up by double digits.

• The Panthers would get on the board in the bottom of the seventh, beginning with a one-out walk to Sam Schner by FSC reliever Christian Suarez. Brett Parrish and Gabe Garrett were each hit by pitches to load the bases and all three would come around to score on a Jason Blackstone double down the left-field line.

• After a pitching change, Blackstone would score from second on a Relaford error.

• Florida Southern would get a run back the following frame against Andrew Dunham, when Liquori's single to left scored Berry following a pair of hit batsmen.

• Tech would complete the scoring in the bottom of the ninth thanks to consecutive two-out doubles from Garrett and Blackstone. • Tapia took the loss for the Panthers. He gave up six runs, four earned, on three hits while striking out two and walking three.

• Blackstone and Alec Eldridge each recorded multi-hit efforts for the Crimson and Gray.

• Schner stole his 11th base of the season. • Austin Sewell threw a scoreless ninth inning.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• The Panthers are now 34-108 all-time against the Moccasins.
• Sewell became the first Panther since James Mannara and Ryan McChesney in 2010 to pitch at least one inning and record at least one hit in the same season
. • Blackstone's seventh-inning double extended his hit streak to 14 consecutive games, the longest by a Panther since Jakob Newton's 20-game streak last season.

UP NEXT: Florida Tech returns to action tomorrow, April 19, for another non-conference/regional matchup, this time against Eckerd. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.