ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Florida Tech baseball team traveled to St. Augustine and took on Flagler in a midweek rematch from Feb. 13. This time the Saints defended their turf and came out on top in extra innings, 1-0.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 0, Flagler 1 (10 Inn.)
Records: Florida Tech (12-17, 5-7 SSC), Flagler (12-17, 5-7 PBC)
Location: Drysdale Field | St. Augustine, Fla.
 
STATS OF THE GAME:

• Jason Blackstone led off the game with an infield single, but the Panthers would go down in order in the next three at-bats.
• In the bottom of the second, Flagler threatened with runners on first and second with one out. Panther starting pitcher, Mitch Harding, got the next Saints' hitter to ground into a four-six-three double play to end the inning.
• Tech threatened in the top of the fifth after back-to-back hit-by-pitches put runners on first and second with two outs. However, a groundout in the next at-bat kept the game scoreless at 0-0.
• The Saints began the bottom of the fifth with two singles and a Panther error to load the bases with no outs. Harding would buckle down and strike out the next batter before inducing another four-six-three inning-ending double play to keep Flagler off the scoreboard.
• Tech would convert its third double play of the game, this time five-to-four-to-three, to end the bottom of the sixth inning.
• The Saints threatened again with runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Inheriting the runners from Harding, Ridge Skarbek took the mound and recorded the final out of the inning with a pop-up to short left field and the teams went into the eighth inning still tied at 0-0.
• Skarbek continued to pound the strike zone and retired the Saints in order in the bottom of the eighth. Tech would go down in order in the top of the ninth to bring up the Saints with the opportunity to end the game.
• Tyler Vermillion took the mound to hold the Flagler batters at bay, and he did just that, retiring the Saints in order to send the teams into extra innings.
• In the top of the 10th with one out, Brett Kelly singled into centerfield and stole second on the first pitch. He would be stranded though as the next two batters were retired with pop-ups to right field.
• In the bottom of the tenth, Flagler led off the inning with a single. After a pop-up, the runner stole second and advanced to third after a ground out.
• With two outs, Trey Newland hit a ground ball into the hole at third that was stopped by a diving Gabe Garrett, but Newland was able to beat the throw to first allowing the winning run to cross the plate and give the Saints the 1-0 win.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 55-30 all-time against Flagler, including a 19-16 record in St. Augustine.
• Mitch Harding turned in his second quality start in a row, tossing six and two-thirds innings of scoreless baseball allowing just two hits and striking out one.
• Jason Blackstone is now on a 12-game hitting streak, including six multi-hit efforts, and has reached base safely in 22 straight games played.
• Carlos Guzman is now on a nine-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 16 out of 18 games played this season.
• Brett Kelly has reached base safely in all 17 games he has played this season.

 
UP NEXT: The road saga will continue for the Panthers who will travel to St. Augustine, Fla. for a midweek contest against Flagler. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Drysdale Field.
 
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