VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Florida Tech baseball team could not ward off the bats of Valdosta St. on Friday night, as the Blazers defeated the Panthers, 11-0, in game one of the three-game series.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 0, Valdosta St. 11
Records: Florida Tech (2-3, 0-0 SSC), Valdosta St. (2-0, 0-0 GSC)
Location: Billy Grant Field | Valdosta, Ga.
 
STATS OF THE GAME:

• Jack Matousek would work a one-out walk in the top of the first inning, but VSU pitcher, Zac Dodson, would strike out the next two Panthers to keep the game scoreless.
• In the bottom half of the first, the Blazers worked a two-out walk. The next batter would send a drive into left-center to score the runner and give VSU a 1-0 lead.
• The following batter would get a base hit through the left side of the infield, but Panther left fielder Roman Samson would cut the runner down at the plate to keep the game at 1-0 and end the inning.
• Both teams would go down in order in the second inning. Samson would single with one out in the top of the third, but VSU would induce a double play on the next at-bat to keep the Panthers off the board.
• The Blazers would make it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning.
• After a scoreless fourth inning, Tech would threaten in the top of the fifth. Camden Colman singled to start the inning and Tate Hansen followed up with a double in the next at-bat. JJ Finn would come in relief VSU and retire three straight Panthers to escape the jam and keep Tech scoreless.
• A bases-loaded walk and a fielder's choice extended the Blazer's lead out to 4-0 after five full frames.
• In the bottom of the sixth, back-to-back two-out extra-base hits gave VSU an 8-0 lead.
• Tech did not manage to get a runner past first base for the rest of the game, while the Blazers added three more runs in the final three innings to give the game its final score of 11-0.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 9-14-1 all-time against the Blazers, including a 4-8 record in Valdosta.
• Roman Samson has now recorded a hit in his first three games to start the season.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will conclude the weekend series against Valdosta St. tomorrow Saturday, Feb. 10 with a doubleheader. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Billy Grant Field in Valdosta, Ga.
 
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