MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Tech softball grabbed the series early on Saturday afternoon on a 4-1 Game Two victory despite dropping the finale, 12-1. It is the Panthers fourth conference series win of the 2024-25 campaign.

GAME ONE:
STATS OF THE GAME:
Final: Florida Tech 4, Eckerd 1
Records: Florida Tech (27-17, 13-10 SSC) | Eckerd (25-15, 11-9 SSC)
Location: Nancy Bottge Field | Melbourne, Fla.

STATS OF THE GAME:

• Coming off a six-game break, Sammy Murphy lit up the Eckerd batters from the jump, striking out six in the first three innings and zero hits.
• Haley Rider registered the first hit to lead off the bottom of the second inning, and Chloe Fariello added a hit in the third, but the Panthers would not score.
• In relief, Kelsey Hahn continued to produce for the Panthers, striking out a batter and not allowing a hit in the fourth.
• The bottom of the fourth saw Tech's offense come alive. Despite two outs, the Panthers recorded four consecutive hits, including two doubles and a home run. Fariello's double brought in two runs, and Celeste Casillas' rocket over the left field wall drove in two more runs.
• Hahn added another strikeout, and Rider recorded another hit in the sixth; however, neither team scored.
• Down 4-0, Eckerd began the seventh with a double to center field, and then four batters later scored their lone run of the game. The Panthers took the series on a 4-1 victory.

GAME TWO:
STATS OF THE GAME:
Final: Florida Tech 1, Eckerd 12
Records: Florida Tech (27-18, 13-11 SSC) | Eckerd (26-15, 12-9 SSC)
Location: Nancy Bottge Field | Melbourne, Fla.

STATS OF THE GAME:

• Both teams got out of the first inning without giving up a run.
• Eckerd doubled their scoring total from the previous two games, plating four runs in the second inning on five hits.
• Tech responded by loading the base sparked by a Samantha Shortal single. Sage Verkler was hit-by-pitch, bringing home Shortal.
• The Tritons got the run back the following half-inning on a sacrifice fly to center field. Eckerd led 5-1 after three innings.
• Eckerd added three more runs in the fourth, extending their lead to 8-1. Two hits from Tech in the bottom of the fourth were left on base.
• The final straw was a four-run top of the sixth, ending the game after a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth. Eckerd won the finale, 12-1.

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Haley Rider went 3-for-6 overall, and Chloe Fariello recorded a 2-for-2 and 2 RBI in Game Two.
• Celeste Casillas scorched her sixth home run of the season, which ties her for the team lead.
• Sammy Murphy pitched four innings and struck out six batters. Kelsey Hahn remains unbeaten with a 4-0 record.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Tech moved to 93-37 all-time against Eckerd and 42-14 at home since 1991.
• Since the start of the 2015 season, the Panthers have gone 21-9 against the Tritons, winning eight of ten series.

UP NEXT: Florida Tech heads on their final road trip of the season to Tampa on Thursday and Friday, April 17 and 18. Game One will begin at 6 pm on Thursday.

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