MELBOURNE, Fla. – In a tied game with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Jason Blackstone walked it off the Panthers with an RBI single to secure the top-10 win over Saint Leo, 11-10, on Friday night in Melbourne.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game Final: Florida Tech 11, #7 Saint Leo 10
Records: Florida Tech (11-11, 4-3 SSC), #7 Saint Leo (19-3, 5-2 SSC)
Location: Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field | Melbourne, Fla.
 
STATS OF THE GAME:

• Saint Leo got on the board in the top of the first inning with a three-run home run to left field by Josh Davis.
• Tech got two runs back in the bottom half of the frame. Jason Blackstone led off the inning with a double and would come around to score after advancing to third on a flyout and then coming home on a wild pitch to make it a 3-1 game.
• Later in the inning, Carlos Guzman would send a deep fly ball to right field for a sacrifice fly that plated Marshall Burke to cut the lead down to 3-2.
• The Lions added a run in the top of the second with an RBI single.
• Noah Burke led off the bottom of the second with a double to left center and crossed the plate two batters later from an RBI groundout for the Panthers to make it a 4-3 game.
• A fielder's choice in the top of the third inning gave Saint Leo a 5-3 lead.
• Again, Tech would answer right back in the bottom half of the inning. Guzman sent a single up the middle that plated M. Burke to make it a one-run game once again, 5-4.
• Both teams went down in order in the fourth inning and both teams tossed a scoreless fifth as well.
• The Lions tacked on another run in the top of the sixth with a one-out sacrifice fly to take a 6-4 lead.
• In the bottom of the sixth inning, a single, a hit-by-pitch, and a Saint Leo error loaded the bases for Camden Colman with one out. Colman would send a single into right-center to bring Guzman and Brett Kelly home to tie the game at 6-6.
• Gabe Garrett followed up with a single in the next at-bat to bring home N. Burke and give Tech its first lead of the night, 7-6.
• Following a pitching change for the Lions, Blackstone would get drilled by a pitch and then M. Burke singled home Colman to make it an 8-6 game.
• Still in the bottom of the sixth, Jack Matousek used a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 9-6.
• Ridge Skarbek took the mound in relief in the top of the seventh for the Panthers and tossed a perfect inning to maintain the lead.
• In the bottom of the eighth, the Panthers added an insurance run after the Lions' pitcher threw a bunt attempt into right field that allowed Garrett to come all the way around from first to score and extend the lead to 10-6.
• Saint Leo mounted a comeback in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with three straight singles to begin the inning.
• A walk, a fielder's choice, and a single cut the Panthers lead down to 10-9 with one out.
• Another fielder's choice would tie the game at 10-10 and put runners on the corners with two outs for the Lions. Tech relief pitcher, Noah Steckley would strike out the final batter of the inning to bring up the Panthers in the bottom of the ninth.
• A one-out single by N. Burke started the rally for Tech and put the winning run on base. Roman Samson would get hit by the next pitch to put runners on first and second.
• Following a strikeout, Garrett worked a four-pitch walk to bring up Blackstone with the bases loaded and two outs.
• Blackstone sent the first pitch he saw into the left-center gap to plate N. Burke and give the Panthers a wild 11-10 victory.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 65-93-1 all-time against Saint Leo, including a 25-26 record at home against the Lions.
• Marshall Burke led the offense going 4-for-5 at the plate with a double, one RBI, and two runs scored.
• Jason Blackstone went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
• Carlos Guzman finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
• Brett Kelly's hitting streak came to an end at 10 games.
• Jason Blackstone, Carlos Guzman, and Camden Colman each totaled multiple RBIs in tonight's game.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will conclude the series with Saint Leo with a doubleheader tomorrow Saturday, March 16. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on Florida Tech Baseball, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.