Fort Lauderdale, Fla. –  For the second straight season, the Florida Tech Panthers concluded their season with a doubleheader that had a little bit of everything and ultimately ended in a split. Dominant pitching saw Nova Southeastern take Game 1, while the Panthers survived multiple late rallies to win Game 2.

 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game 1 Final: Nova Southeastern 5, Florida Tech 0
Game 2 Final: Florida Tech 6, Nova Southeastern 5
Records: Florida Tech (23-26, 12-18 SSC) | Nova Southeastern (26-23, 15-15 SSC)
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  
 
STATS OF GAME 1:

• The Sharks opened the scoring in the bottom of the third against Panthers starter Mitch Harding.
• Gregory Delgado walked to begin the inning and after Jarrett Hall struck out, Derek Bermudez drew a walk of his own.
• Michael Uz would break the deadlock with a one-out single into shallow right that scored Delgado but Florida Tech would get a break when Bermudez drifted too far off second base and Brett Parrish's throw went to a covering Jason Blackstone at the bag, who tagged out Bermudez. Harding would make sure there was no further action in the inning by striking out Adam Frank.
• NSU tacked on in the bottom of the fourth with a one-out walk to Daniel Irisarri beginning the rally. Irisarri would stole second with Kristian Noriega at the plate, who would eventually draw a walk himself.
• A successful double steal would create a prime RBI opportunity for Stephen Schissler, who would cash in with a sacrifice fly to left that brought home Irisarri.
• Harding would once again limit the damage to just one run as he induced a groundout from Delgado.
• Nova would put the game on ice in the bottom of the seventh, which began with a walk to Schissler. Delgado would reach after being hit by a pitch and both runners would advance on a wild pitch from Harding.
• After a strikeout of Hall, Harding's day came to a close, as he was lifted for Tyler Vermillion.
• An RBI single from Bermudez, an RBI double from Uz and an RBI single from Frank, all in a row, would push the Shark lead to 5-0.
• After a walk to Duncan Pastore, Vermillion coaxed an inning-ending double play from Irisarri.
• While Harding took the loss, he surrendered just one hit in six and one-thirds innings of work, striking out six batters in the process. The four runs he allowed largely came off the back of five walks and two hit batters.
• Parrish and Tate Hansen recorded Tech's only two hits.

 
 
STATS OF GAME 2:

• The Panthers went to work immediately in the top of the first against Sharks starting pitcher Frank Elissalt.
• Sam Schner fouled off the first five pitches to start the game before ultimately drawing a 13-pitch walk. On the very next pitch, he moved to third thanks to Blackstone's opposite field single to right.
• Parrish made sure it would count as he lifted a sacrifice fly to left that brought Schner home and gave Tech their first lead of the series.
• Blackstone would go on to steal second and Josh Ford would reach base through a hit by pitch as Elissalt struck out Roman Samson and Alec Eldridge to end the frame.
• Florida Tech would add to their lead in the top of the third in a similar manner as Schner began the inning with a walk.
• Following Schner's steal of second, Blackstone would single to the opposite field once again, setting up runners at the corners for Parrish.
• Parrish's bloop into shallow center found grass and drove in Schner to double the Crimson and Gray lead.
• Two batters later, Samson placed a single down the left field line that plated Blackstone. Florida Tech would load the bases following a walk to Eldridge but Elissalt recovered once again by striking out Gavin McGowan and Hansen.
• Tech would continue to add to their lead in the top of the fifth against new Sharks reliever Matt Kavanaugh.
• Ford led off with a walk and would advance a one-out Eldridge groundout. McGowan would make sure the walk would count by placing a two-out opposite field single in just the right spot to make it a 4-0 ballgame.
• Nova would begin their comeback in the bottom of the sixth against Panthers starting pitcher Dylan Cleveland.
• Uz and Frank started the rally with a pair of one-out singles to put runners at the corners for Pastore, who brought home Uz with a sacrifice fly.
• Frank would take second on a wild pitch with Irisarri at the plate and not long after that, Irisarri's single into center would bring NSU within two.
• Cleveland would unplug the rally but forcing a groundout from Adam Smith.
• The Sharks would continue to climb their way back into the game the following inning against new Tech reliever Carter Cooke.
• Justin Wachs led off the inning with a triple into the right field corner. Bermudez then reached when McGowan went home with a ball hit to third but Wachs instead retreated to third.
• Parrish and Tate Hansen recorded Tech's only two hits.
• Ihosvany Castañeda's single up the middle drove in Wachs to bring Nova within one and chase Cooke from the game in favor of Ridge Skarbek.
• Ryan Cainzos would reach on a fielder's choice where Gabe Garrett recorded the out while covering third base on the play but an errant throw to first would put runners at second and third with the ball going out of play.
• Following an intentional walk to Uz to load the bases and put the force play on, Frank lifted a sacrifice fly to center that plated Castañeda to level the affair.
• After a walk to Pastore, Skarbek escaped the inning by getting Irisarri to fly out.
• The Crimson and Gray provided an immediate response in the top of the eighth against Schissler, who had been brought in to pitch an inning prior.
• Garrett ignited the charge with an opposite field leadoff single to right and then advanced to second when Schner's single found its way through the right side.
• A sacrifice bunt on the part of Blackstone would put two runners in scoring position for Parrish, who would strike out.
• Following an intentional walk to Ford, Schissler would be removed in favor of Michael Dillon.
• Brett Kelly came in to pinch-hit and that would prove to be the right call as his two-out single to center brought home Garrett and Schner to put the Panthers back on top.
• Eldridge walked to re-load the bases but the inning would come to an end on a McGowan fly out.
• NSU would not go away quietly as Castañeda led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run to center.
• Cainzos would reach after being a hit by a pitch and then advance to second when Hansen's pickoff attempt got away from Eldridge.
• Skarbek recovered to induce three straight flyouts to secure the Crimson and Gray's 23^rd victory of the season.
• Dylan Cleveland turned in a quality start in the final outing of his freshman campaign, allowing two runs on four hits and walking none across six innings of work. The Sharks did not record their first hit until two out in the bottom of the fifth.
• Schner and Blackstone each had three-hit games to pace the Panthers' 13-hit attack.
• Parrish drove in two runs while Eldridge walked twice in the final games of their Florida Tech careers.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• The Panthers are now 30-28 all-time against the Sharks.
• Blackstone concluded the season with his 24^th multi-hit game of the season and third three-hit game.
• Schner recorded his seventh three-hit game of the season and his 12^th stolen base, bringing his career total to 38. His three hits in Game 2 pushed his season-ending average to .303.
• Parrish's Game 1 double was his 16^th extra-base hit of the season, the most by any Panther in 2023. He ends his career with a .300 batting average, 54 extra-base hits and 113 RBI.
• Game 2 was Skarbek's fifth outing of at least three innings. By doing so, he earned his third win of the season.
• McGowan's two hits ensured he finished the season as one of four Panthers (Blackstone, Ford, Schner) with a .300 average.

This concludes the 2023 season for Florida Tech baseball season. We thank our Class of 2023 Seniors for everything you have given to the program and we look forward to seeing everyone at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field in February 2024.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Florida Tech baseball 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.