MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Tech baseball team dropped game one of its three-game series to Augusta, 6-5, but bounced back in game two thanks to a last-inning rally and walk-off single by freshman Marshall Burke to win 6-5.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game 1 Final: Florida Tech 5, Augusta 6
Game 2 Final: Florida Tech 6, Augusta 5 (7 inn.)
Records: Florida Tech (5-5, 0-0 SSC), Augusta (4-6, 0-0 PBC)
Location: Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field | Melbourne, Fla.
 
STATS OF GAME 1:

• After starting pitcher Trenten Anderson worked a scoreless top of the first inning, Jack Matousek blasted a one-out solo home run over the right-center fence in the bottom half of the frame to give Tech an early 1-0 lead.
• Tate Hansen and Noah Burke would follow Matousek with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with one out. After a ground out, Marshall Burke would run out an infield single to score Hansen and make it a 2-0 game after one.
• In the top of the second, Augusta would put runners on second and third with one out. Anderson would work out of the jam with a soft ground ball to third and a strikeout to end the threat.
• Jacob Guthrie would send a line drive over the left field fence in the bottom of the second to make it a 3-0 lead for Tech.
• A single, a walk, and a double in the top of the third inning pushed across the Jaguars first run of the game. Back-to-back RBI singles and a Panther error allowed Augusta to take a 4-3 lead.
• In the bottom of the fourth, Jason Blackstone and Matousek would hit back-to-back one-out singles to put runners on the corners. Hansen came up and smashed a double off the left-field fence to plate Blackstone and tie the game at 4-4.
• Three batters late, M. Burke drew a two-out bases-loaded walk to give the Panthers a 5-4 lead.
• Augusta would come back in the top of the sixth inning. A leadoff single followed by a double down the right field line would tie the game at 5-5.
• In the top of the seventh, the Jags would take the lead after scoring a run on a wild pitch with a runner on third.
• Augusta relief pitcher, Britt Kelly, would finish out the game to near perfection and only allowed two more baserunners the rest of the game to secure the victory for the Jags.

 
STATS OF GAME 2:

• After a scoreless first inning, Augusta would strike first in the top of the second. A hit batter, a double, and a sacrifice fly would give the Jags a 1-0 lead. The starting pitcher for Tech, Danny Vassallo, would buckle down, strike out the next batter, and induce a ground out to get out of the inning.
• Augusta exploded for four more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Back-to-back RBI doubles plated two runs. A stolen base and two RBI singles would make it a 5-0 game.
• The Panthers would respond in the bottom half of the fourth. After back-to-back strikeouts to begin the inning, N. Burke, Camden Colman, and M. Burke would smack three straight singles to score a run and put runners on first and second.
• Hansen would come up to the plate and belt a double into left-center to plate M. Burke and Colman to cut the lead down to 5-3.
• A Matousek single in the bottom of the fifth plated Gabe Garrett for the Panthers to cut the lead down to 5-4.
• Both teams would remain scoreless until the bottom of the seventh. Blackstone would lead off the inning with a four-pitch walk. Matousek would follow suit with a six-pitch walk.
• Roman Samson then came up to the plate in a pinch-hit scenario and laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. N. Burke would be intentionally walked in the next at-bat to load the bases.
• A wild pitch to Colman would allow Blackstone to scamper across the plate, tie the game at 5-5, and move the runners up. Colman was then intentionally walked to load the bases again.
• M. Burke would send a clean base hit up the middle of the field on a 1-1 count to score Matousek and give Tech the walk-off victory, 6-5.

 
NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Marshall Burke finished the day 6-for-8 at the plate with a double, three RBIs, and one run scored.
• Jack Matousek went 4-for-8 at the plate with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored.
• Noah Burked also went 4-for-8 at the plate with a double and one run scored.
• Jacob Guthrie went yard in game one for the first time this season.
• Tate Hansen finished 3-for-8 at the plate with three RBIs and two doubles.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 3-2 all-time against Augusta.
• This was the first time the teams have met since Feb. 19-20, 2016.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will conclude the three-game series against Augusta tomorrow Saturday, Feb. 17. First pitch for game three is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field in Melbourne, Fla.
 
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