MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Tech baseball team improved to .500 on the young season after some timely hitting and pitching to secure a 4-3 victory over the Flagler Saints on Tuesday night at home.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 4, Flagler 3
Records: Florida Tech (4-4, 0-0 SSC), Flagler (0-8, 0-0 PBC)
Location: Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field | Melbourne, Fla.
 
STATS OF THE GAME:

• After a scoreless first inning, Flagler would strike first in the top of the second.
• A single to lead off the inning followed by a double down the left field line put runners on second and third with zero outs. Back-to-back RBI groundouts would give the Saints an early 2-0 lead.
• Camden Colman walked to lead off the bottom half of the frame, and would later steal second, but Flagler pitcher Benjamin Stubbs would earn two strikeouts and induce a groundout to keep the Panthers scoreless.
• The score remained until the bottom of the fourth inning. Noah Burke would reach first safely after striking out on a wild pitch and Colman would follow up with a double down the rightfield line to put runners on second and third with no outs.
• An infield single by Marshall Burke would plate N. Burke and put runners on first and second, still with no outs.
• Roman Samson laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners up, and Jacob Guthrie singled into right field to score Colman and tie the game at 2-2.
• In the top of the fifth, starting pitcher Josh Beck would make the first Saint's batter pop out. After surrendering a walk, Tyler Vermillion would take the mound for Tech and retire the next two batters to keep the game tied.
• Jason Blackstone led off the bottom half of the fifth with a walk. After a flyout, Tate Hansen would reach first on a throwing error, which put runners on the corners with one out. Hansen would then steal second just a few pitches later.
• N. Burke smoked a single up the middle to plate both runners and give the Panthers a 4-2 lead.
• Vermillion would lock in on the mound for Tech and retire the Saints in order in both the sixth and seventh innings, picking up another strikeout along the way.
• Flagler would get one run back in the top of the eighth inning with a pinch-hit one-out RBI single by Kevin Riscassi. Ridge Skarbek would then buckle down for the Panthers and retire the next two Saints to keep the game at 4-3.
• Ethan Stephens would take the mound for Tech in the bottom of the ninth for the save opportunity. After giving up a lead-off single, Stephens would strike out the next batter, induce a fielder's choice, and strike out the last batter of the game to give the Panthers the win.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 55-29 all-time against Flagler, including a 19-9 record at home against the Saints.
• Jacob Guthrie recorded his first hit as a member of the Panthers in tonight's contest.
• Josh Beck started the game on the mound for Tech and threw 4.1 innings with four strikeouts and two walks.
• Tyler Vermillion pitched 2.2 innings of perfection with two strikeouts.
• Ethan Stephens recorded his second save of the season.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will host Augusta for a weekend series from Friday, Feb. 16 – Saturday, Feb. 17. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field in Melbourne, Fla.
 
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