DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Tech baseball team took the road series over Sunshine State Conference (SSC) opponent Embry-Riddle with a doubleheader split, dropping game one, 6-2, and winning the nightcap by a score of 8-2.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game 1 Final: Florida Tech 2, Embry-Riddle 6
Game 2 Final: Florida Tech 8, Embry-Riddle 2
Records: Florida Tech (14-18, 7-8 SSC), Embry-Riddle (16-12, 5-7 SSC)
Location: Sliwa Stadium | Daytona Beach, Fla.
 
STATS OF GAME 1:

• Embry-Riddle got on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI double into right field to go up 1-0 early.
• Jack Matousek and Tate Hansen led off the top of the second for the Panthers with back-to-back hit-by-pitches. A single into left field by Camden Colman loaded the bases with no outs.
• A walk issued to Austin Sewell in the next at-bat plated Matousek to knot the game at 1-1. Gabe Garrett would send another run across in the next at-bat with an RBI ground out to give Tech a 2-1 lead.
• The Eagles responded quickly in the bottom of the second with a five-run inning on five hits to take a 6-2 lead.
• Sean Means tossed three and two-third innings of scoreless baseball in relief for the Panthers, picking up three strikeouts along the way.
• Both teams locked in on the mound and defensively over the next several innings. Tech threatened with runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the seventh, but a ground out in would end the inning and keep the game at 6-2.
• The Panthers would once again threaten in the top of the eighth with two runners on and two outs, but a strikeout would keep Tech at bay.
• Jason Blackstone walked to start the top of the ninth, but three straight ground outs ended the game with a final score of 6-2.
• The Panthers left 11 runners on base.

 
STATS OF GAME 2:

• Blackstone led off game two of the doubleheader with a double into left field and Marshall Burke followed up by sending a full-count fastball over the left field fence to give Tech an early 2-0 advantage.
• A few batters later, a double from Matousek put runners on second and third with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts would end the Panthers' threat.
• Embry-Riddle loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, but Trenten Anderson struck out the next Eagle and induced a ground out to escape the jam unscathed.
• In the top of the second, The Panthers loaded the bases with no outs. M. Burke hit into an RBI fielder's choice to extend the lead to 3-0.
• A walk issued to Noah Burke in the next plate appearance loaded the bases again, but the Eagles would turn a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
• Embry-Riddle threatened with runners on second and third after a one-out double by Dylan Brazil. Anderson would get the next two batters to ground out to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard once again and preserve the lead.
• The Panthers used back-to-back two-out base knocks, a double from N. Burke and a single from Carlos Guzman, in the top of the fourth to plate three more runs and extend the lead out to 6-0.
• Anderson continued to cruise through the next three innings on the bump, picking up four more strikeouts heading into the seventh inning.
• In the top of the seventh, a walk to Guzman and a single by Hansen put runners on first and second with one out. A fielder's choice and an error led to Guzman crossing the plate to extend Tech's lead to 7-0.
• In the bottom of the same frame, Embry-Riddle found themselves with the bases loaded and two outs. A two-RBI single from Dillon Lifrieri put the Eagles on the board and cut the deficit down to 7-2.
• After a scoreless eighth, Blackstone sent a two-out, RBI single into right field to plate Colman and tack on an insurance run for the Panthers.
• Noah Steckley would take the mound in the bottom of the ninth for Tech and after a leadoff walk, would retire the next three Eagles, picking up two strikeouts along the way, to secure the win.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 24-23 all-time against Embry-Riddle, including an 11-14 record on the road in Daytona Beach.
• This was the first-ever three-game series win on the road for Tech over the Eagles.
• Marshall Burke's three RBIs in game two gave him the team lead with 24 on the season. He also leads the team with 54 total bases.
• Jason Blackstone has reached base safely in 25 straight games played.
• Carlos Guzman has reached base safely in 21 out of 22 games started this season.
• Camden Colman recorded a hit in 10 out of his last 11 games.

 
UP NEXT: The Panthers will return to the confines of Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field on Tuesday, April 2 for a non-conference matchup with Florida Southern. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Melbourne.
 
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