MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Tech baseball team dropped game two of its weekend Sunshine State Conference series to Nova Southeastern, 20-7, on Saturday afternoon.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 7, NSU 20
Records: Florida Tech (7-6, 1-1 SSC), NSU (6-6, 1-1 SSC)
Location: Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field | Melbourne, Fla.
 
STATS OF THE GAME:

• The Sharks would strike first in the top of the first inning after Zeth Rodriguez scored from third on a throwing error.
• Tech would bounce back in the bottom half of the frame with three runs. Marshall Burke would bring Jack Matousek across the plate on a fielder's choice to tie the game at 1-1.
• M. Burke would then steal second and Tate Hansen would send a double into right-center to send Camden Colman and M. Burke home and take a 3-1 lead.
• In the bottom of the second inning, Matousek would launch a towering fly ball over the right field fence for a two-run home run to make it a 5-1 game.
• A two-out RBI triple by Justin Wachs would send another Shark across the plate in the top of the third. Wachs would then score on a wild pitch to cut the deficit down to 5-3.
• The Panthers got both runs back in the bottom half of the frame with back-to-back RBI doubles by Jacob Guthrie and Gabe Garrett to make it 7-3.
• Both teams would go scoreless through the next two innings, with starting pitcher Dylan Dieguez picking up three strikeouts along the way for the Tech.
• The floodgates opened for NSU in the top of the sixth after they sent 13 batters to the plate and pushed seven runs across the plate to take a 10-7 lead. Henry Wallen clubbed a grand slam to take a 9-7 lead during the rally.
• The Sharks would tack on six more runs in the top of the seventh.
• Both teams would remain scoreless until the top of the ninth. NSU used a double, a single, and a fielder's choice to send four more runs across and extend the lead to 20-7.
• Noah Burke would single in the bottom of the ninth, but the Sharks would rally to secure the win and tie the weekend series at 1-1.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 54-57 all-time against NSU, including 30-22 all-time at home in Melbourne.
• Noah Burke tallied four hits in the contest.
• Jack Matousek finished 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
• Brett Kelly finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and two HBPs.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will conclude the three-game series against the Sharks tomorrow Sunday, Feb. 25. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Andy Seminick-Les Hall field in Melbourne, Fla.
 
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