MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Tech softball took on No. 22 Rollins in a Saturday doubleheader in two close matches. After dropping the first game 3-1, the Panthers fought back in the final innings of game two before falling short 6-5.
GAME ONE:
STATS OF THE GAME:
Final: Florida Tech 1, Rollins 3
Records: Florida Tech (18-14, 7-9 SSC) | Saint Leo (26-6, 9-4 SSC)
Location: Nancy Bottge Field | Melbourne, Fla.
STATS OF THE GAME:
- Jolie Miracle got the Panthers started with a single in the bottom of the first inning.
- The Panthers tallied a hit in the first three innings, two coming from Miracle.
- In the top of the third, Alex Hendrian picked off the runner at first base to keep the Tars scoreless.
- Rollins put up a run in the next inning; however, Hendrian worked out of the jam by striking out a batter and inducing a popout to get out of the inning.
- Bri Micheli for Rollins homered in the top of the fifth, doubling the Tars lead.
- The Panthers cut the score in half as Dawn Pawlak scored off an error from a ball put in play by Katie Sexton.
- Michelli singled to left field in the top of the seventh, giving the team a 3-1 lead after Claire Long singled to left center.
- Hendrian did not give up a single walk and struck out three batters.
GAME TWO:
STATS OF THE GAME:
Final: Florida Tech 5, Rollins 6
Records: Florida Tech (18-15, 7-10 SSC) | Saint Leo (27-6, 10-4 SSC)
Location: Nancy Bottge Field | Melbourne, Fla.
STATS OF THE GAME:
- Florida Tech came out for the second game strong, with Ella Niles striking out the first three Rollins batters.
- In the bottom of the first, Kelly McLaughlin and Miracle single but left on base.
- The Tars blew the game open with five runs in the top of the second, highlighted by an Ashley Worrell homer run to lead off the inning.
- Four straight hits for the Tars brought home the other four runs.
- Niles worked two clean innings, helped by Miracle getting a runner out from behind the plate.
- However, the Tars would extend their lead by one in the top of the fifth after a Kaeli Zahradnik triple down the right-field line.
- The Panthers never gave up, putting up four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
- Katie Hogue opened the floodgates with a solo shot.
- Celeste Casillas was set up by three Panther walks for her bases-clearing double in the right-field gap.
- Down to the final inning, Hogue came up big with an RBI single up the middle; however, the Panthers would ultimately fall short.
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
- Jolie Miracle accumulated four hits in seven at-bats through two games. She also came home to bring the Panthers one run away from a tie in the bottom of the seventh in game two of the doubleheader.
- Ella Niles pitched her fourth complete game of the season in her 13th appearance, along with two strikeouts.
- Katie Hogue smashed her fourth home run of the season, which is tied for the team lead.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- The Panthers now move to an all-time 60-59 against Rollins
- Alex Hendrian tossed her NCAA-leading 18th complete game of the season in Game One.
- Florida Tech is 22-32 at home against Rollins since 1991
UP NEXT: The Panthers are back at Nancy Bottge Field for the final game of the series against Rollins on Sunday, March 24, starting at 1 p.m. ET.
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