MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Tech baseball team began Sunshine State Conference (SSC) play Friday night under lights and took home the win, 9-4, over Nova Southeastern.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 9, NSU 4
Records: Florida Tech (7-5, 1-0 SSC), NSU (5-6, 0-1 SSC)
Location: Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field | Melbourne, Fla.
 
STATS OF THE GAME:

• After a scoreless first inning, the Sharks would plate the first run of the game in the top of the second after a double and an RBI single.
• In the top of the third, NSU was threatening to score with runners on the corners and two outs. Starting pitcher Danny Vassallo would work out of the jam for the Panthers with a strikeout to keep the game at 1-0.
• Tech's bats would come alive in the bottom half of the frame as the Panthers crossed home seven times. Jason Blackstone started the rally with a one-out single, followed by a walk from Jack Matousek.
• Camden Colman would slap a single through the right side of the infield in the next at-bat to score Blackstone. Noah Burke would send Matousek across the plate with a single of his own to take a 2-1 and Marshall Burke would reach on an error to load the bases, still with just one out.
• Tate Hansen would send a two-RBI single up the middle and Brett Kelly would follow up a two-RBI double to extend Tech's lead out to 6-1.
• Another error by the Sharks would send Kelly home to make it 7-1, but NSU starting pitcher, Collin Rothermel, would induce a strikeout to end the inning.
• The Sharks would get two runs back in the top of the fourth with an RBI sacrifice bunt with runners on first and third and a sacrifice fly, but once again Vassallo would strike out his last batter of the inning to stifle the rally.
• Vassallo continued to keep the Sharks' bats at bay and picked up two more strikeouts in the top of the fifth inning. In the bottom of the same inning, the Panthers would tack on another run from a two-out RBI single by Matousek.
• Tech would extend the lead again in the bottom of the sixth, this time with a two-out RBI single by Kelly.
• Ridge Skarbek would relieve Vassallo in the top of the seventh and sit NSU down in order, striking out two Sharks in the process.
• Skarbek would follow up in the top of the eighth inning, striking out the side to preserve the lead.
• NSU would not go down without a fight. In the top of the ninth, an error and a walk put runners on first and second with nobody out. Skarbek would lock in and strike out the next batter, but a wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third.
• A sacrifice fly would plate a run for the Sharks, but Skarbek would strikeout the final batter of the game to give Tech it's SSC series opener win, 9-4.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 54-56 all-time against NSU, including 30-21 all-time at home in Melbourne.
• In his season debut, Brett Kelly finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBIs.
• Ridge Skarbek picked up seven strikeouts in just three innings of relief.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will continue the three-game series against the Sharks tomorrow Saturday, Feb. 24. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Andy Seminick-Les Hall field in Melbourne, Fla.
 
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